SAN ANTONIO — A Delaware farmer from Greenwood has been posthumously honored with the most prestigious award in the soybean industry during this year’s Commodity Classic trade show in San Antonio.
The American Soybean Association presented its Pinnacle Award to the late Richard Wilkins during the 2026 ASA Awards Celebration. This top industry recognition celebrates individuals whose lifetime achievements demonstrate exceptional contribution and leadership within the soybean community.
According to ASA officials, Wilkins showed remarkable innovative leadership throughout his 53-year career that enhanced both sustainability and unity across the soybean sector.
Wilkins wore many hats as a champion for soybean producers, serving as a Mid-Atlantic Soybean Association member, ASA president, and Delaware’s former state executive director for the Farm Service Agency.
His agricultural journey started modestly in 1972 when he cultivated just three acres of soybeans on leased land. By his high school graduation in 1976, he had grown his operation to 65 acres.
These formative years shaped his lifelong commitment to diligent work, innovation, and producer-driven leadership — values that influenced his contributions throughout all levels of the soybean community.
On the state level, Wilkins served Delaware farmers as a member of the Delaware Water Infrastructure Advisory Council, advocating for agricultural interests while navigating increasingly complex nutrient management requirements.
In this position, he championed research-backed, workable solutions that enabled farmers to meet environmental standards while maintaining both productivity and profitability.
ASA also credited Wilkins with a crucial role in restructuring the Mid-Atlantic Soybean Association in 2002, which guaranteed Delaware soybean growers maintained influential representation in regional and national policy conversations.
When elected ASA president in 2015, Wilkins guided the organization through significant national policy challenges, particularly during discussions surrounding Vermont’s proposed GMO labeling legislation.
His presidential leadership mobilized farmers and industry partners to inform lawmakers, ultimately achieving a consistent national food labeling framework that prevented market confusion, safeguarded consumers, and maintained industry stability.
“Richard will be remembered for his role in ensuring fair and equitable representation for smaller soybean-producing states within the American Soybean Association,” ASA said in a statement. “Richard’s enduring impact will be measured not only by the policies he helped shape and the markets he expanded, but also by the leaders he mentored.”
