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From farm to fork: learning about the life of a soybean

Soybean Nutrition Institute Global and Indiana Soybean Alliance provided registered dietitians with an opportunity to learn more about the life of a soybean on Tuesday. 

Sarah Alsager is the director of communications and outreach with SNI Global.

“Our goal was to give dieticians in Indiana an opportunity to learn about how a soybean comes from the field to the plate, giving opportunity for dietitians to learn more about the health and nutrition benefits of soy protein and soy oil, and then also get to hear from a soybean farmer,” she says.

Audio: Sarah Alsager

Heather Hill raises corn, soybeans, wheat, and hogs in Greenfield, Indiana.

“To be able to bring them to the farm and show them we’re normal people too,” she says. “We were able to show them that this is where we live and this is how we raise our animals to have that true visual of this is how the pigs are being raised, this is where we’re making their feed, and this is where we’re growing the crop that becomes their feed.”

Audio: Heather Hill

She tells Brownfield it was a great opportunity to have dietitians on the farm.

“It’s a group I don’t personally get to interact with regularly, but I know they’re very important in helping to tell our ag story for all farmers no matter what kind of commodity they’re raising,” she says.

In addition to the farm tour, the event included health and nutrition attributes of soy, a food demonstration, and examples of how to put soy science into practice.

Alsager says, “more and more consumers are interested in incorporating plant protein on the plate, not necessarily that they’re decreasing animal protein consumption, but they’re wanting to try more plant protein—we see more flexitarian diets becoming more popular where people want that flexibility in what they eat. Soy protein is a high-quality protein that is a great option in those interested in branching out into different types of protein.”

The event was the first of its kind offered by the Soy Nutrition Institute and Indiana Soybean Alliance. Alsager says ISA, a member organization of SNI Global, reached out about offering a localized event for dietitians.

 For more information visit sniglobal.org or indianasoybean.com.