The Farmer's Daughter USA

Hi, I'm Amanda! My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm also a practicing attorney.

Farming Fridays!

Introducing: Soybeans

This year for Farming Fridays! we’re going to focus on our soybean crop.
Let’s start by just putting soybeans in perspective. According to the American Soybean Association, of all the crops planted in the United States in 2012, soybeans made up the second largest crop (29% of all planted acres) second only to corn. That year there were 3,015 million bushels of soybeans harvested! In Michigan, the average yield per acre is about 43 bushels.
What the heck do we do with all of those soybeans? We can actually do quite a lot! 
For starters, soybeans contain about 18% oil and 38% protein. When they’re processed, it’s usually for the oil. The oil can be used for cooking and frying foods. Margarine, salad dressings,  and mayonnaise all contain soybean oil. Soybean oil is also used to pack food, such as tuna. Baked breads, crackers, cakes, cookies, and pies also usually have soybean oil. Of course, in some parts of the world, soybeans are used as a main ingredient. 
The protein that is left over after the oil is extracted from the soybean is usually made into some type of animal feed. Over half of the soybeans processed for animal feed are given to poultry. A quarter of the soybean protein goes to pigs. The rest is put into feed for beef cattle, dairy cattle, and your pets.
Soybean oil is also used for bio-diesel for diesel engines. The fuel that is burned is cleaner than petroleum-based diesel oil and it is non-toxic. 
Soybeans are also used in some products that replace wood, such as furniture, flooring, and counter tops. Even particleboard, plywood, and some lumber are made with a soy-based adhesive. Your carpet may also include some soybeans.
Other uses include: solvent to clean up oil from water, industrial lubricants, industrial cleaners, paint, crayons, candles, printer ink, and hydraulic fluid. 
So, how about that? Soybeans have a ton of uses and are probably all around you right now! 
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Farming Fridays!

Fighting Weeds & Feeding Plants

 Check out that growing corn:

Perhaps not that much difference, but it’ll change soon…
Oh, did you notice the weeds, too? That’s why dad is still applying Round-Up and other herbicides to kill them off. As I explained before, if we left them, they would compete with the corn for other nutrients in the soil. Not good. This is what the field looks like prior to him covering it. 
This is the sprayer that we put the nozzles on a couple weeks ago (the “wings” are tucked in):
It looks a bit goofy, but obviously it’s a lot easier to make it through the rows without running over corn with that type of design. Notice the narrow tires? 
(Yes, I realize there is a big brown spot in the photo. That actually isn’t planted for personal use by one of the land owners.)

My brother is following in the fields applying 28% Nitrogen fertilizer on the corn. It is the main staple for corn to grow tall, green, and produce a good yield. Nitrogen is critical. The applicator has knives that cut into the ground and apply it into the soil right by the roots.

For every pound of fertilizer being applied, it is 28% actual nitrogen. The rest is water. Hence the name. It comes from the manufacturer as 32%, but it has to be watered down or it won’t mix well into the soil. Usually the dealers will water it down before it gets to the farmer.


Other options for fertilizer is anhydrous ammonia, which has to be knifed into the ground. It isn’t available in our area, but it’s also a bit dangerous. Since it’s a gas, it can easily escape into the air and be noxious for humans. No need to put our farmers in that kind of danger needlessly. 
Urea is another option. It comes in pellets that look like the beans in a bean bag chair. It’s usually put on before planting and then tilled into the soil. We used to use it, but prefer 28% now. 
Notice on the tractor that the tires are fairly narrow as well. We use that same tractor for planting. The less we run over the corn and compact the soil, the better.
The nitrogen will make the corn really take off from here. Stay tuned!!
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