Getting Away with Soy

The Last Word:

Editor’s Notes by Ann Clinton aclinton@iasoybeans.com

So I’ve been thinking … do farmers really go on vacation? I know you leave the farm sometimes and travel with a suitcase. I know some of you have even ended up on a tropical island, donning a sweet tan on your arms and pale legs. But do you ever really get away from the farm? Is it always on your mind? I saw a musing on Twitter the other day from a wife who finally got her husband to go on vacation after a particularly tough year on their operation. She intended to create a reprieve from the daily grind and soak up some relief.

The wife noted her husband, who wore a ball cap given to him by his crop adviser, spent most of his time actively seeking out other farmers staying at the same resort. She said he quickly found new friends, and they talked about prices, crops and weather. She wondered how they even found each other.

So I must know, is this a thing? Is there a farmer-radar you emit when you travel? Are you just magnetically drawn to each other? Or is that story just a fallacy and you can disconnect from your farm when you travel? My guess is that it’s somewhere in the middle, but I’d still like to know how the scenario plays out on your trips.

We were focused on new uses for soybeans as we were putting together this issue of the Iowa Soybean Review (ISR). The truth is, we barely scratched the surface when it comes to featuring all the products that include soy. There are just so many of them. Impressive, environmentallysound products are exciting to learn about and offer inspirational ways to increase demand for our soybean oil.

The United Soybean Board works with scientists, innovators and businesses to implement soy into products. We reported on one particular product that sparked my imagination. On Page 16, we highlighted a shoe manufacturer that makes 100% recyclable sandals, utilizing 45% U.S. soy by weight.

Our ISR photographer shot an image for the story of the flip-flops lying on a backdrop of soybeans. The picture reminds me of a sandy beach, and I can picture myself there, with my earth-friendly flip-flops beside me. Is there anyone else out there with my kind of vision?

I’m anxious to hear about your adventures – or lack thereof if that’s the case. But, if you are headed somewhere warm, grab yourself a new pair of sandals made with soy. It will at least be a conversation starter when you are making friends with other farmers on vacation.