Tire Made of 10% Soybean Oil Unveiled at Farm Progress Show 2012

Aug 31, 2012

Bridgestone America Firestone Brings Innovation To Farm Tires

Bridgestone Americas unveiled a new product at the 2012 Farm Progress show in Boone, Iowa this week – a tire that contains 10% soybean oil. The soybean tire is part of the Firestone brand of agricultural tires. The tire is for farm use, weighs 900 pounds and is made up of 90 pounds soy oil. This is a special year for the Harvey Firestone’s tire line celebrating their 80th anniversary and staying true to their heritage – improving tire technology and innovation for farm use.

“The soybean oil has replaced all the different petroleum-based processing oils used in the tire’s compounds,” said Tom Rodgers, director of sales & marketing at Bridgestone Americas. “Engineers and compounders from our Americas Technology Center, and also the company’s Des Moines agricultural tire plant, have been working on this concept tire project for several months. Based on the progress of the project, we expect to begin incorporating soy oil into some of our agricultural tires by early 2013. Our goal is to have soy oil as a component in all of our agriculture tires by the end of 2013.”

It takes approximately one bushel of soybeans to produce 11 pounds of soy oil. The tire shown below, used eight bushels of soybeans to make 90 pounds of soy oil.

Video: Jim Smalley: The Voice That Defined Saskatchewan Agriculture Journalism | CKRM 100th Anniversary

Our next 620 CKRM Icon is Jim Smalley. Jim reflects on his remarkable career, from his early days in Ontario and his first steps into news, to his move west and his lasting impact on Saskatchewan’s airwaves.

After joining CKRM in 1982, Jim spent more than four decades as one of the province’s most trusted and recognizable voices. Jim defined agricultural journalism — not just in Saskatchewan, but across Canada. His commitment to telling the stories of farmers, rural communities, and the people behind the headlines set the standard. Now retired from the newsroom that proudly bears his name, Jim shares memorable stories from his time on air. A broadcaster, a storyteller, and a true voice of Saskatchewan — Jim Smalley’s legacy continues to resonate at CKRM and beyond.