A hub for soybean education and invention is coming the Jefferson City, Mo., area in 2019.

The Center for Soy Innovation is for all things related to soybeans. The 14,000-square-foot building will house organizations like the Missouri Soybean Association and Merchandising Council, Biodiesel Coalition of Missouri and Foundation of Soy Innovation. The new location will also be home for the administrative functions for farmer-owned biodiesel plants, Missouri Farmers Care and the Ag Education on the Move programs. The building will feature soy-based building materials and demonstrate new uses for soybean, from soy-based countertops, flooring and insulation to turf, asphalt sealant and biodiesel/BioHeat.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Work will begin on the 18-month project to erect the Center for Soy Innovation in Jefferson City, Mo. The building will house not only an information center, but also meeting areas as well. It’s shown here in an architectural rendering.

Missouri soybean farmers broke ground on the new building in western Jefferson City July 24, kicking off a roughly 18-month project to develop the Center for Soy Innovation. Soybean growers at the event highlighted the need to be a resource for farmers and the community as a driving force behind the project.

“The Center for Soybean Innovation is the answer to the questions ‘Who and what are we going to be to the farmers of Missouri for the next 20 years?’” says Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council Chairman John Kelley of Faucett, Mo. “This is putting our soybean research to work and communicating the impact soybean have on our lives every day.

“With its education center and conference space, the Center for Soybean Innovation expands our opportunities to host agricultural, youth and community groups,” Kelley says. “We look forward to hosting school groups, trainings, workshops and events — better serving soybean farmers and better connecting with people who might not have strong personal ties to agriculture.”

Kelley was joined by fellow soybean farmers and leaders in the industry Robert Alpers, Missouri Soybean Merchandising chairman; and C. Brooks Hurst, president of the Missouri Soybean Association.

Information on bid opportunities related to the project, as well as for soy-focused businesses to showcase their products, will be posted to mosoy.org as they become available throughout the duration of the project.

Source: Missouri Soybean Association