Human ConsumptionCooking OilBaby Food Mayonnaise Candy BreadsSalad Dressing CakesCheeses

Animal ConsumptionFish Foods Cattle Feeds Dairy FeedsPoultry Feeds Swine FeedsPet Food

Soy FlourMargarine GritsCoffee Creamer NoodlesCereal Peanut ButterSoymilk Snack Foods

Consumer & IndustrialAnimal Care ProductsAuto Care ProductsBuilding Products MedicineCandles Cleaning ProductsCrayonsPaintSoap

Body Lotion GlueCosmetics InkRubber Engine OilsSoy BiodieselPlasticsLotions

About four to seven days after the seeds are planted, the soybean plant begins to grow. As it grows, the plant changes. The seed grows a little tail-like root called a radicle. The tail becomes the main root. This is called a taproot. Soon smaller roots, called lateral roots, branch out from the taproot. The plant pops out of the ground. A small round part of the plant called the cotyledon peeks through the topsoil. The leaves grow in groups of three. They are called trifoliates. Small purple or white flowers appear on the plant. Many of these flowers grow into small pods of soybeans. In the fall, the plants turn brown and the leaves drop off. The pods stick to the plant and the beans inside the pods get hard and dry. Each pod contains 3-4 beans. The farmer harvests the soybeans.

One bushel of soybeans weighs 60 pounds and provides

} 11 lbs. ofcrude

soybean oil

47 lbs. of soybean

meal +

Crude Soybean Oil is used for human consumption, and consumer and industrial products.

Soybean meal is used for livestock feed.

Production: 544.3 million bushels (#2 in the United States!)Area Planted: 9.8 million acresArea Harvested: 9.7 million acresAverage Crop Yield: 56 bushels/acre Exports: About 300 million bushels Price Paid to Farmers: $8.99/bushelSoybean Crop Value: $5,641,104,000

Top-Producing Counties: 1) McLean 2) Champaign 3) Livingston 4) Iroquois 5) LaSalle

2015

IllinoisSoybean Stats

Source: ilsoy.org

Soybeans are small round seeds, each with a tiny, brown spot. They are made up of three basic parts. Make your own soybean book with the Bean Book activity found at www.agintheclassroom.org.

Hilum – brown spot.

Embryo – part of a seed that develops into a new plant, including the stem, leaves and roots.

Cotyledon – first leaf or pair of leaves within the embryo. A part of the seed that stores food.

Seed Coat – outside cover that protects the seed.

Production The United States is one of the leading soybean producers in the world!

Farming is a year long job! Planting and harvesting may only take 4-5 months, but there is a lot more preparation that goes into growing a great crop.

Spring - Prepare the soil and plant seeds.

Summer - Control weeds and insects and irrigate where necessary.

Fall - Harvest, store beans and work the soil.

Winter - Market the crop, order seeds and take care of machinery.

Soybean meal use in IllinoisPork production accounts for 85 percent of the soybean meal use in Illinois. Dairy and beef cattle together eat another 5 percent, and poultry consumes 4 percent.

85% 5% 4% 6%other

Source: ilsoy.org

After the crops are harvested, the soybeans are stored in grain bins or taken to large storage areas in nearby communities. These storage areas are called grain elevators.

Most soybeans grown in the United States are processed to make food, livestock feed, oil and fuel. Almost half of the annual crop is exported. Of the soybeans remaining in Illinois, most are consumed by livestock. They are the Illinois soybean farmers’ #1 customer.

ProcessingWhen soybeans are processed, the hull (seed coat) is removed. The beans are crushed and rolled into flakes. The oil and soybean meal is then separated. The hull can be used in pelleted form as animal feed. Soy meal can be used in a variety of foods for humans and animals. You can find soy oil almost anywhere.

Soybean meal is not only used for farm animals, but also in food for pets, zoo animals and fish.

Soybean oil is the main edible oil used in the United States. Soybeans are the #1 ingredient in vegetable oil. Check your kitchen and read the label on your vegetable oil!

Soybeans play an important role in the nutrient cycle. Many crops, such as corn and cotton, remove nitrogen from the soil. Rotating these crops with legumes, such as soybeans, helps add nitrogen back to the soil naturally. This means farmers have to add less commercial fertilizers to the soil. Additionally, Illinois livestock farmers feed soybean meal to their animals. Feed for dairy cows includes 12% soybean meal, while for pigs it contains 15% soybean meal, and for beef cattle, and broiler chickens, it consists of 25% soybean meal. These animals also produce manure, which can be used as fertilizer in the field to help produce healthier crops that we will feed to our livestock, and the cycle begins again.

NutrientCycle

DistributionDistribution is delivering a product from where it is produced or grown to the places where it will be used. Soybeans are transported across the nation and around the world by trucks, trains and barges. Airplanes can be used to transport products made with soybeans.

The Mississippi River is an important route for delivering soybeans to the Port of New Orleans.

On a national level, 45% of U.S. soybeans are exported. The U.S. exported 1.79 billion bushels of soybeans in recent years.

BiodieselBiodiesel is a renewable fuel made from soybeans! It is the fastest growing alternative diesel fuel in the United States. It was developed in the 1890s by inventor Rudolph Diesel. The diesel engine has become the engine of choice for power, reliability and high fuel economy worldwide. Biodiesel has reduced exhaust emissions compared to petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel is biodegradable and non-toxic.

Sustainable PracticesFrom crop rotation and reduced tillage to nutrient and water management, every day is an ongoing responsibility to our land and resources. Illinois farmers must commit to continuous improvement when it comes to managing nutrients.  They do this through the use of sustainable practices. Sustainable practices involve methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources. Read on to learn more about the sustainable practices farmers use every day.

Cover Crops: Planting cover crops helps reduce water runoff and control erosion, which in turn, helps protect the quality of surface water. Some cover crops are also helpful in trapping and retrieving |leftover nitrogen from the soil.

Crop Rotation: The practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area inconsecutive seasons is known as crop rotation. This will reduce the risk of soil erosion, prevent soil depletion, maintain soil fertility, and help control weed growth.

Conservation Tillage: Conservation tillage involves leaving the previous year’s crop residue (such as corn stalks or bean stubble) on fields before and after planting the next crop to reduce soil erosion and runoff. No-till and strip-till are two of the most common practices used today. Both methods involve planting crops directly into residue that either has not been tilled (no-till) or has been tilled only in narrow strips to remove the residue from the row area, allowing sunlight to hit the soil surface and warm the soil (strip-till).

Water Management: Adequate moisture is one of the most important factors that can help achieve a great yield and higher quality crops. A well-planned drainage system provides a number of benefits: allows more air into the soil to make sure roots receive enough oxygen to develop correctly; encourages timelier field operations due to less flooding in low areas, which also increases the number of available planting and harvesting days; and reduces surface runoff by allowing the soil to absorb and store more rainfall.

Nitrogen and Nutrient Management: Farmers are actively trying to keep nitrogen and other nutrients in their fields and out of the ground water. Soybean farmers frequently test their soils, maintain nutrient-management plans, and know recommended nutrient levels in order to apply adequate nutrients as needed. This strict attention to detail helps soybean farmers maintain and build more productive soil, reduce over-application, and protect water quality. Ninety-two percent of U.S. soybean farmers have tested their soil to maintain proper nutrient levels. Farmers also install conservation buffers to slow water runoff and trap sediment and pollutants. Terraces also help keep nutrients out of the water by catching runoff water, letting the water soak into the ground, and delivering the excess safely to the bottom of a hillside. Terraces are seeded to grass, which also provides erosion control. These, and other barriers help keep nutrients out of the water.

For more information on how farmers manage nutrients and take care of the environment, please visit http://www.ilsoy.org/Sustainability/NutrientLossReductionStrategy.

Information in this Ag Mag complements the following Common Core State Standards: ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1; ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3; ELA-Literacy.RI.4.5; ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7; ELA-Literacy.L.4.3

Information in this Ag Mag can be connected to the following Next Generation Science Standards: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: 3-LS4-3; Energy: 4-ESS3-1; Structure, Function, and Information Processing: 4-LS1.A; Structure and Properties of Matter: 5-PS1-3; Structure and Properties of Matter: 5-PS1-4

Marketing & ConsumerismMarketing farm crops involves planning and research to get the best price available for the crops grown. It involves deciding what crops are the most marketable and for what uses. After farmers harvest the grain, it is dried and stored at the grain elevator. When the farmer is ready to sell it, they contact the elevator and tell the manager how much to sell. Some farmers also have contracts with companies that use soybeans. These farmers grow enough soybeans to fill the contracts they made with the companies. Marketing also involves advertising the products made from soybeans, on TV as well as in newspapers and magazines.

New soy products are being developed every day. A few examples include: building materials, plastics at John Deere and foam in the seats of Ford vehicles. Each product is also a renewable resource!

Consumerism is YOU choosing, buying and using the products.

Soybeans and their products are included in all the food groups except fruits. Soybeans are a source of high-quality protein and contain all eight of the essential amino acids. Very few vegetables have all eight amino acids. Soybeans also contain essential vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, potassium and folic acid.

The average American consumes nearly half a cup of soybeans in some form each day.

READ the labels! Ingredient labels are required on all products we buy. The ingredients on a label are listed by the amount of each ingredient in a product from the MOST to the LEAST. Check out your labels and look for soy oil, soy flour, soy protein isolates and soy lecithin.

=

Now that you know how a soybean grows, why not grow your own!

Materials needed:• Jewelry size resealable bag (found in craft stores)• Crystal Soil (Found in nursery or from Flinn Scientific

800-452-1261)• Hole Punch• Water• Measuring spoons• Soybeans• Yarn 1. Punch a hole in the top of your bag, above the zipper seal. 2. Place ¼ teaspoon of Crystal Soil into the bag.3. Drop 1-2 soybeans into the bag. 4. Add 1 tablespoon of water.5. Seal your bag.6. Insert the yarn in the hole to make a necklace.7. Use the yarn to hang your Beanie Baby around the room to chart the effects of various

exposures to light and heat. You might want to wear it around your neck, under your shirt to provide constant heat for your Beanie Baby!

8. Check your Beanie Baby several times a day to watch the process of germination.9. Record the growth on a chart.

Soybeans Through History

Farmers in China began growing soybeans more than 5,000 years ago.

1765Soybeans, or “Chinese vetches” as they were known, were introduced to North America.

1700s

1804James Mease, a physician and amateur horticulturalist, reported that soybeans had adapted to Pennsylvania’s growing climate.

1829Soybeans were thriving in Massachusetts.

1861-1865Soybeans were used to brew a hot drink for soldiers during the Civil War.

1898The United States Depart-ment of Agriculture (USDA) introduced several varieties of soybeans from Asian countries and set up a system to keep track of the different kinds of seeds.

1800s

1904George Washington Carver began studying soybeans at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Carver discovered a method of extracting soybean oil and also invented a process for making paints and stains from soybeans. Farmers in the South were encouraged to plant soybeans to keep the soil fertile for their cotton crop.

1897The University of Illinois published its first research bulletin on soybeans.

1907William J. “Bill” Morse joined the USDA and devoted his life to studying soybeans. He was also the founder of the American Soybean Association and wrote more than 80 publications about soybeans.

1920sA.E. Staley opened a soybean processing plant in Decatur, Illinois, in 1922 with 1,547 bushels from Andrews Grain Company. Shippers were paid 99.75 cents per bushel.

1940Henry Ford took an ax to a car trunk made with soybean plastic to demonstrate its durability. This increased the popularity of soybeans and the United States began to export soybeans and soybean products.

1950sSoybean meal became available to use as a livestock feed ingredient. It is high in protein and low-cost. This prompted a large increase in livestock and poultry production in the United States.

1990sSoybean-based crayons win the first Indiana Soy-bean Development Council/Purdue University Soybean Utilization Contest.

2002USDA’s Agricultural Research Service begins heating its buildings in Beltsville, Maryland, and fueling all its diesel vehicles, generators and equipment sterilizers with B20 made from soybeans.

TodayFarmers throughout the United States produce nearly 4 billion bushels of soybeans each year. Farmers in Illinois alone produce about 544.3 million bushels yearly, which puts them first in the United States.

1900s 2000s

1904George Washington Carver began studying soybeans at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Carver discovered a method of extracting soybean oil and also invented a process for making paints and stains from soybeans. Farmers in the South were encouraged to plant soybeans to keep the soil fertile for their cotton crop.

1964Land of Lincoln Soybean Association was formed to provide legislative representation for growers.

2010Animal agriculture became a top funding focus for Illinois soybean farmers.

Soybeans Through History

Carrie Winkelmann Illinois Soybean Association District 9 Director, Menard County Agriculture Literacy Coordinator/Farmer Tallula, IL Describe how you got involved in farming.

My father is a farmer and I grew up working on my family’s crop and livestock farm. I was always interested in going out and helping my dad on the farm. When I got into high school and was offered the option of taking agriculture classes, I jumped at the chance. I joined FFA, and highly enjoyed learning more about agriculture. After high school, I was accepted into the University of Illinois College of Agriculture (now ACES) where I spent 4 years majoring in Agriculture Science with coursework in education that led to a teaching certificate in agriculture and science. I spent four years teaching high school agriculture and received my master’s degree in Agriculture Education. I have spent the last 13 years as an Agriculture Literacy Coordinator, and in that 13 years I met and married a farmer. For 10 years now I have worked with my husband to continue producing corn and soybeans.

What happens to the soybeans after they are harvested?

After we harvest soybeans on our farm, they are either stored on farm for marketing later or for contracts deliverable at a later date, stored at a local grain elevator for marketing later, or sold directly out of the field. From the point of sale, they are then put into local and worldwide markets for a variety of uses.

What new ways do you think soybeans will be used in the future?

I think the possibilities for soy use in the future show such promise. Soybeans are already used in so many products today. Most people don’t realize inks, the foam used to cushion your car seat, and many other things are made from or have some soy in them. I see Soybean Biodiesel fuel being used more and more to make cleaner burning and more environmentally friendly engines. Soybean use in building materials and composite materials for furniture is also new and exciting. I know that soybeans used for feeding humans and animals will continue to be a staple of diets around the world, and will hopefully help in feeding areas of the planet where hunger is a large problem.

Stan BornIllinois Soybean Association District 5 Director, Peoria County (Treasurer) FarmerLovington, IL

Describe how you got involved in farming.

I grew up on a small grain/livestock farm in Shelby County. I majored in Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois and worked for Caterpillar for 30+ years. In 2012, I decided to go back to farming. I was able to buy some farm ground very close to my family farm. A lot has changed through the years while I was with Caterpillar, therefore I needed to reeducate myself with the changes in farming. Getting involved with the Illinois Soybean Association was part of my reintroduction to agriculture.

What are your goals as an Illinois Soybean Association District Director?

Our mission is to make sure we have the highest quality and dependable supply of soy produced in the most sustainable manner to be able to compete at the global level. My small role is to utilize the skills I have to be an advocate for our industry. Working as a volunteer with the association allows me to engage with many different groups of people, such as legislators at the state and national level. Working with other people on the Illinois Soybean Association Board has been a great learning experience. It is also a great way for me to contribute my skills from my background and experiences with the industry to advocate for the Illinois Soybean Association and to serve the soybean farmers of Illinois.

How do you see soy being used globally?

We compete on a global level. We have to fight and earn the business that we have to protect our markets and develop new ones. It is important to have a high quality product, to do it in a sustainable fashion, and to be dependable in our delivery. There are great opportunities ahead with the population growing to 9 billion by 2050, and the increase in living standards that people in developing coun-tries want to achieve. This means the consumption of high protein diets will increase and soybeans are an excellent solution for poultry, swine and many other forms of protein, as well as for direct human consumption. Soybeans are a unique product that play on a global stage. This gives us the opportunity to be competitive and earn that business.

Lori Younker Agricultural Engineer (Natural Resources Conservation Service)Sycamore, IL

What emerging technology do you see farmers using to protect the environment?

There is a lot of concern with the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Research has shown that nitrate-nitrogen in drainage tile from farm fields is a contributing factor of oxygen depletion in the Gulf. A new practice that farmers are using to help address this issue is denitrifying bioreactors.

The bioreactors take advantage of naturally occurring microorganisms to remove nitrate from the water. The bioreactor has wood chips in it that provide a place for the microorganisms to live. Once they have a place to live, they need something to eat. The microorganisms “eat” the nitrate-nitrogen out of the water and change it to nitrogen gas. In the same way that humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, the microorganisms breathe in nitrate from the water and breathe out nitrogen gas to the atmosphere. The nitrate-nitrogen is removed from the water.

Describe how you see farmers helping the environment.

Farmers are implementing a lot of best management practices that help the environment. These practices improve water quality by reducing nutrient and soil loss, and provide for animals, plants, and insects to live. Another way farmers are helping the environment is by protecting, building, and restoring wetlands. Wetlands provide a natural filtration of water and they also provide habitat. Many farmers have also planted filter strips and buffers which reduce runoff into streams and also provide habitat. Some farmers have even planted special pollinator seed mixes which are designed especially to attract pollinators such as bees, birds, bats, and butterflies.

What are the most commonly used management practices in Illinois?

A management practice that has become very popular in the past few years is the use of cover crops. After the main crop (corn and soybeans) is harvested, cover crops are planted. Some farmers even have the cover crop seed dropped by plane while the main crop is still growing! Cover crops protect the soil from erosion by covering it in the fall and sometimes through the spring. They can help reduce erosion, improve air and water movement through the soil, increase soil organic matter, and just make the soil healthier! Examples of cover crop plants are cereal rye grass, annual rye grass, radishes, and oats.

What improvements have farmers made to protect the water?

Farmers have changed their tillage systems to help keep the soil on the field. They have also installed terraces, grassed waterways, grade stabilization structures, and grassed filter strips along streams to help keep soil from getting into surface water. Farmers also apply fertilizers needed to help their crops grow according to nutrient management plans. These plans use data specific to their farm to specify how much fertilizer should be applied based on many factors such as what the plant needs to grow, the type of fertilizer that will be used, soil type, and soil test data. By following their plan they can apply just what is needed for the crops, which keeps nutrients from running off into our streams and ditches.

To learn more about agriculture visit us at www.agintheclassroom.org, orIllinois Agriculture in the Classroom, 1701 Towanda Avenue, Bloomington, IL 61701.

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