As you might’ve heard, the newest installment in the Star Wars saga opens today, but you probably won’t find any soybeans in it. That’s too bad because there are plenty of opportunities. For now, there’s plenty of demand for soy here on Earth. But if Jedis, droids and clones ever start using it in a galaxy far, far away, here are five ways they might consider:
1. How many soybeans does the United States export to Luke Skywalker’s home planet of Tatooine? None, but the countries that do buy your products imported more than 2.3 billion bushels of U.S. soy, worth more than $27 million, in the last marketing year.
2. Why haven’t any equipment companies invented a combine that cuts beans with a lightsaber? That technology might still be a few years away, but there are lots of other ways of innovating on your farm that can help you sustainably increase production. Wise you are, sustainable farming you should practice.
3. Is soybean meal a protein source for wookies? The checkoff has never funded feeding demonstrations on wookies, ewoks or even Jabba the Hutt. But it does work a lot with poultry and swine to help both soybean farmers and animal producers get as much value from soybean meal as possible.
4. Does the Millenium Falcon run on biodiesel? Probably not, but the diesel-powered vehicles and equipment here on Earth can use biodiesel with no engine modifications, adding demand for U.S. soybean oil. Not to mention using Bioheat to heat the Rebel base on the ice planet of Hoth.
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