When we first arrived in Tennessee we noticed field after field of a beautiful lush green plant. These fields went on for miles. We had no clue what it was but wondered why it wasn't being harvested. As green as it was we were sure it must be ready. After about a week the leaves were turning yellow. How sad that these fields were all going to waste. There must be a reason they were not being taken care of we decided. After a couple of more weeks the leaves were falling off and turning brown. How sad, and such a waste of time planting and watering and of course the seeds. People in Tennessee were certainly foolish! Then I asked someone about it and we were told that they are soybeans and the brown was just what the farmers were waiting for so they could harvest. Here are a few of our photos and then a little information about the Soybeans of Tennessee.
Soybeans are the No. 1 cash crop in Tennessee, with more than 1.2 million acres planted and more than 48 million bushels harvested last year.
But what do we do with all these soybeans? The primary use of whole soybeans and protein from soybean meal is to provide a low-cost, high-protein feed ingredient for fish, poultry, swine, cattle and other animals. We humans enjoy the beans in tofu and soy sauce, as soy flour, and pressed into soybean oil, the leading vegetable oil in the world. Margarines, salad dressings and mayonnaise all use soybean oil.
But there are lots of industrial uses as well:
• One acre of soybeans can produce 82,368 crayons.
• One-half of all daily U.S. newspapers are printed with soybean oil-based ink.
• Soybean is used in plastics, wood adhesives and textiles.
• Soybean oil provides an environmentally friendly fuel for diesel engines.
• Soybeans also find their way into candles, cleaning products and hair-care products.
