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Article: Soybeans, Soybeans Everywhere
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- June 17, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Why is Middle America filled with soybean fields even though no
one eats soybeans and tofu is the world's dullest food?
Soybeans are the Stealth Legume. They're in everything. Henry
Ford once had a suit made out of soybeans and proposed the
construction of a car out of soybean-derived plastic. (We're
guessing that if you ever got stuck for days out in the desert, you
could always just eat the car.)
America will grow about 61 million acres of soybeans this year,
just behind the 78.5 million acre corn crop and the 71.5 million
acre wheat crop. Corn and wheat are not mysterious plants. But
soybeans truly are an enigma.
The secret of the soybean is threefold. First, it's cheap to
grow. ...