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Read this and you will know beans You can color with it. You can
print a newspaper or magazine with it. You can put it in your coffee. You can put it in
your diesel engine. You can put it between the buns of your burger. You can make a plastic
container out of it in which to store And an important little bean it is to the Minnesota farmer, the Port of Duluth-Superior - and industries and consumers all over the world. Most historical accounts first find the soybean in use in ancient China. Tofu, it seems, was an Oriental staple long before it was an American fad. The soybean first came to the United States in 1765, not that anyone paid all that much attention to it. A Yankee Clipper, departing from China, was loaded with soybeans as an inexpensive ballast. Upon arrival, they were dumped. So much for that. In 1829, though, American farmers grew their first soybean crop, and the bean was on its way to the big time. Today the U.S. is the world's Number One producer of soybeans, and in some corners they have earned the distinction of being called the globe's "miracle crop." Today, farmers in 29 states grow nearly 2 billion bushels of soybeans , and every other row goes into the export market. Japan is the largest single customer; the European Union makes up the collective customer. The soybean can be found in myriad shapes and forms, from paints to pesiticides, feeds to fuels, and in building materials, pharmaceuticals, cleaning solvents, paints and plastics - and on virtually every aisle of every supermarket. |
You Will Know Beans Around the Port |
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Some
of the bean's newest applications are in environmentally friendly products as they begin
to be substituted for petroleum products. For example, along with being biodegradable,
soy-based cleaning solvents emit fewer toxic fumes than traditional cleaning materials and
provide a major benefit to manufacturers concerned about health and safety issues.
"As original stewards of the land, Minnesota farmers place a tremendous importance on nurturing and caring for the environment," said Gary Joachim, chair of the Minnesota Soybean Industry Information Committee. "For Minnesota soybean producers, it's not enough to raise one of the world's most imporant crops; they want to raise it in harmony with the environment."
Beans, beans, beans Here's where you'll find soybeans.* Refined soy oils Edible: Coffee creamers, cooking oils, margarine, pharmaceuticals, salad dressings and oils, sandwich spreads, shortenings. Technical: Anti-corrosion agents, anti-static agents, caulking compounds, detergents, diesel fuel, disinfectants, electrical insulation, epoxies, fungicides, inks, linoleum backing, paints, pesticides, plasticizers, putty, soap, shampoo, wallboard, waterproof cement. Soybean lecithin Edible: Emulsifying agents, bakery products, candy coatings, pharmaceuticals, medical products. Technical: Anti-foam agents, alcohol, rubber, wetting agents, calf milk replacements, cosmetics. Whole soybean products Edible: Seed, stock feeds, soy sprouts, full fat soy flour for breads, instant milk drinks, pancakes, pie crusts, roasted for crackers, cookies, fountain toppings. Traditional uses: miso, soy milk, soy sauce, tofu. Soybean protein products Edible: Baby foods, beer and ale, candy products, cereals, diet foods, noodles, sausage casings, yeast. Technical: Adhesives, antibiotics, cleansing materials, water based paints, textiles. Soybean meal Aquaculture feeds, bee foods, cattle feeds, fox and mink feeds, pet feeds, poultry feeds, swine feeds. * This is only a partial list of the many uses of soybeans in each category.
Is there a biodiesel in your future? Biodiesel is an alternative fuel derived from renewable biological sources, such as soybean oil. It can be used in diesels without engine modification. Biodiesel engines deliver similar torque, horsepower and miles per gallon as petroleum-powered diesels while radically lowering harmful emissions. Demonstration projects are under way in about a hundred cities. France uses biodiesel for heating and blends it 50-50 with petrodiesel. One bushel of soybeans yields a gallon and a half of biodiesel. A city bus can get 230 miles to the acre. |
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your burger leftovers. And you can put it in the beer
that you enjoy with your burger. You can do almost any darned thing with it. It's Glycine
max, the noble, lowly soybean.
