The soybean is often called the miracle crop. They were first grown by farmers in the early 1800s to produce soy sauce and were used by Civil War soldiers to brew "coffee" on the battlefield. In the late 1800s, farmers grew the crop as a forage for cattle.

Michigan's own Henry Ford discovered soybeans could be used for industrial uses, too. He even used soybeans to produce an auto trunk lid, and recognizing the nutrient value of the crop, employed a cook who made up recipes using soybeans as an ingredient.

Today, many food products and technical applications contain soy. In fact, the newspaper you read may be printed with soy-based ink and your local diesel fuel supplier may have soy-based biodiesel.

Michigan is a leading producer of soybeans. Michigan farmers planted 2.2 million acres of soybeans in 2001, and that number is likely to grow as soybeans become more popular.

Soybeans are grown in the lower half of the lower Michigan peninsula.  The top five soybean producing counties are Lenawee, Monroe, Saginaw, Sanilac and Shiawassee.

For more information about Michigan soybeans, contact:

Michigan Soybean Committee