The joy of soy: more than 28,000 farmers produce soybeans in Indiana.

• Author: Hayhurst, Susan
• Position: Agribusiness

In ancient China, rural peasants planted the seeds of a wild, local flower in hopes of creating an additional food source. By 1100 B.C. the Chinese realized the versatility of their discovery, making the soybean a mainstay of their diet. Nearly 3,000 years later, the soybean has become a mainstay for most U.S. farmers, including thousands of Hoosiers.

Today, this hearty immigrant can be found in almost everything. From paints to pesticides, feeds to fuels, candles to ink, soybeans are versatile, edible, practical and environmentally friendly. They also impact the Indiana economy. The state ranked fourth nationally in soybean production last year, harvesting more than 235 million bushels for a value of $1.3 billion. Fifty percent of the state's crop is exported.

And soybeans provide jobs. More than 28,000 farmers produce soybeans in Indiana, according to the Indiana Soybean Growers Association. Though only 1.8 percent of the U.S. population is currently involved in production agriculture, the food and fiber industry is booming thanks to efficient producers and researchers.

"Twenty-two percent of the jobs in the U.S. have something to do with bringing food and fiber to our tables," says Terry Hayhurst, president of the Indiana Soybean Board. "included in these positions are researchers, product developers, manufacturers, farmers, universities and foodservice."

Today's producers must think far beyond their farm gates, says Hayhurst, who in 2001 attended the JSB sponsored Middle Eastern Soybean Conference in Istanbul, Turkey. "Indiana's soybeans are specifically desired by countries like Turkey. We sell them a healthy percentage of our soybeans and its byproducts like meal and oil. Turkish business leaders like our soybeans' quality, and we saw firsthand they use our soybean meal as a feed in their ever-growing aquaculture industry."

American technology helps make soybeans from Indiana and other U.S. states attractive overseas. "We have the technology to maximize the bean and its byproducts for a country's specific application needs," says Hayhurst. And American soybean farmers have plenty to spare for the lucrative export market. "It's pretty common knowledge the U.S. helps feed the world. We can produce in excess of what we need here. So soybeans provide a valuable export tool for us, helping to balance U.S. trade."

Universities are at the forefront of research and development to discover new practical applications. The Indiana Soybean Board...