A Soybean Home Makeover
How a Wisconsin family turned their farm’s crop into a sustainable interior redesign
When you think about home décor, the soybean might not immediately come to mind.
But for Tony Mellenthin and his wife Katie, the crop has long been a cornerstone of their lives – Tony’s family has been farming soybeans for three generations in western Wisconsin’s Eau Galle. Mellenthin Farms covers nearly 10,000 acres of land, primarily with fields of soy.
Through his work with the United Soybean Board, Tony met Tracy Hutson, the host of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” who collaborates with the organization. Last year, he casually mentioned that he and his wife were expecting a third child, and Hutson quickly offered to give their nursery a makeover.
“A month later, Tracy asked me about it again, and I told her point-blank, ‘To be honest, Tracy, I thought you were doing one of those Midwest Nice things, where you offer and hope I don’t take you up on it,’” Tony says. “And she said, ‘No, I meant it 100%.’”
The couple took her up on the offer.
Hutson was inspired to use a plethora of soybean-based products to completely remake the nursery.
Those soybean-based products provide a more sustainable alternative to those made with petroleum. They promote healthy soil, and their use supports the many family-owned farms like the Mellenthins’ across the United States.
Soy’s use as a clean-burning biodiesel, such as in transportation, heating and generating
electricity, also reduces lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 86% compared to petroleum diesel, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency.
In Wisconsin, soy delivers a significant and lasting economic impact. The crop generates over 6,000 jobs, with nearly 2,000 family farmers across the state, and over $2 billion in total annual revenue.
What started as a oneroom nursery makeover quickly turned more ambitious. Tony and Katie spoke to Hutson about their two daughters, ages 5 and 1, along with the baby on the way, and Hutson realized that there was more work to be done.
“I thought it was going to just be the one room, but by the time I started really thinking about it, thinking about their other little girls, I thought that I just had to remake rooms for all of them,” Hutson says. “I couldn’t help myself.”
In February, Hutson flew to Eau Galle with her team of home remodelers to make the vision a reality – and she kept the Mellenthins out of the rooms until the big reveal.
“We put it all in Tracy’s hands,” Katie says. “When we walked in, it was such a big change.”
For their oldest daughter, Hutson had a bright rainbow painted across her wall using a soy-based paint that matched the bright color scheme of the rest of the room’s vibrant furnishings.
The updated nursery included soybased changing pads, mattresses,
linens and pillow inserts. She even added soy crayons and nail polish, along with toys and stuffed animals. Katie thinks the new look is a major improvement.
“The rooms before were all a little dark – now they’re bright and playful and fun,” Katie says. “You want to hang out in them now.”
The makeover is especially meaningful to Tony, as it brings his lifelong work on Mellenthin Farms – and his family’s legacy in soybean farming – directly into his home for his children to enjoy.
“The soybean has so many diverse
uses – it’s really remarkable,” Hutson says. “There are so many products, all the way from building materials to lotions to nail polish. It’s extremely versatile, and I think consumer awareness of that versatility and sustainability is really growing.”
Now the Mellenthin’s two girls – and their newborn baby brother – have settled into their renovated rooms and are already loving the refreshed space.
“To see the innovation soy has brought into consumer-facing products, and to be able to use those in our house is mind-blowing to me,” Tony says. “As we raise our family, we’re trying to instill a sense of pride and ownership in how we farm, making sure we do right to the environment and in the community. … Now we can show our kids all these amazing things that come from what we grow.” ◆
Learn more about Wisconsin’s soy industry at usssoy.org