Home » Plants & Animals » American Agriculture » Soybean Stats

Soybean Stats

© Rena Larranaga

Soybeans are America's second-largest crop, behind corn. We produce nearly half of the world's soybean supply, but Americans eat less than 5 percent of that supply.

Historically, soybeans were used primarily to feed livestock until the early 1900s, when scientist George Washington Carver discovered that soybeans provided valuable protein and oil. Today, soybeans supply nutrients to animals and people. Many countries use soybeans as their main source of protein, instead of meat, eggs, or cheese.

Soybeans grow on bushy plants that are 2 to 3 feet high. The beans are produced in pods, similar to peas. During the summer, a soybean plant can produce 60 to 80 pods containing two to four beans.

U.S. Soybean Production, 1989-1998

Year	Million Bushels
1989	1,924
1990	1,926
1991	1,987
1992	2,190
1993	1,871
1994	2,515
1995	2,174
1996	2,380
1997	2,689
1998	2,757

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Iowa leads the nation in soybean production. The crop is grown primarily throughout the Midwest.

Soybean Production by State, 1998

Rank	State	Million Bushels
1	Iowa	502
2	Illinois	469
3	Minnesota	286
4	Indiana	235
5	Ohio	193
6	Missouri	170
7	Nebraska	165
8	South Dakota	133

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Soybean oil is a popular vegetable oil in the United States. When crushed and pressed, soybeans produce an oil that is used in margarine, cooking oils, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and many prepared foods. Soybean oil also is used to make paints, varnishes, soaps, cosmetics, and plastics. Soybean oil is even used to make ink for printing newspapers and magazines.

Other soy products include tofu, soy milk, soy flour, whole soybeans, and texturized soy protein. Here are some recipes to help incorporate soybeans into your diet. (Source: New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service)

Oat Blueberry Hot Cakes

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1-1/2 cups plain soy milk
1 cup blueberries

In a large bowl, mix the oats, flours, and baking powder. Add soy milk, with a few quick strokes. Fold in the blueberries. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto a hot, non-stick griddle. Cook 2 minutes, or until bubbles appear. Flip the pancake and cook for another minute. Serve hot. Experiment with this recipe using various fruits, such as apples or bananas.

Veggie Dip

1 3-oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup silken tofu
1 Tbsp. chopped green olives and pimentos
1 tsp. chopped onion
1/4 tsp. dried dill weed
dash of salt and pepper

In a bowl, mix softened cream cheese and tofu. Add remaining ingredients and continue to mix until all ingredients are blended evenly. Chill in refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Serve with raw

The copyright of the article Soybean Stats in American Agriculture is owned by . Permission to republish Soybean Stats in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.