“This is the farmers’ building, and we're here to show it off,” Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council chairman Robert Alpers said of the new Center for Soy Innovation in Jefferson City, Mo.

"The Center for Soy Innovation is our answer to, 'Who and what are we going to be to the farmers of Missouri for the next 20 years?'" he added. "And we're very proud of this path forward."

The Missouri Soybean Association began in 1966. And with the help of the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, the two organizations focused on growing markets for soybeans around the world, supporting the research behind the uses of soybeans and putting biodiesel in vehicles.

Today, the Center for Soy Innovation now stands on a soybean field once owned by the Stockman family. The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council purchased the parcel and, along with the Missouri Soybean Association, broke ground on the project in July 2018.

It is a testament to the history of the state’s soybean industry. In early March, the big, red, barn-like building opened its doors, offering a glimpse of the present and future.

Farmer driven

The center was built using soy-based materials from the insulation to the heating system. Before even entering the center, visitors are greeted with green turf derived from soybeans.

Christine Tew, Missouri Soybean Association communications director, shares some of the soy-based products used on the inside:

Farmers can walk through and see how their checkoff dollars are working to create new uses for soybeans, Alpers said.

“We did this for long term,” he said. “We're in a down market right now. I think [farmers] realized that we need more than one trading partner. Whenever we can develop uses, and especially industrial uses, right here in our own state and keep these soybeans processing and start making products right here in Missouri and use those soybeans domestically, it's a better win for our country than just depending on trading alone.”

But for Alpers, the Center for Soy Innovation is not just for farmers, it is for consumers.

“The day is a celebration of that rich history and of us taking a huge step forward together to connect deeper with consumers who might otherwise not know about that little bitty bean and how it touches their lives on a daily basis,” he said. “The innovation, the advocacy, wouldn’t be possible without the work that brought us here today.”

Soy on display

Alpers said children and adults need to keep in touch with where their food comes from. “They need to know it’s safe,” he added. “We’re hoping that the center helps educate consumers of all ages.”

Learning opportunities exist throughout the building. Alpers said a kid favorite is the interactive display boards right inside the door. Here visitors drag and drop items to their dinner plate and then learn the role soybeans played in their food selection.

Right next to this display are two cases filled with soybean plants. Each soybean is labeled by its growth stage. The plants and pod fill are for an average soybean yield, Tew explained. “We want to give visitors a realistic view of soybean production in our state," she said.

Alpers said the center is open for Rotary clubs, Lions clubs and any kind of groups like that to come and see the building.

“If there is a group of young people touring the Capitol, we hope they give us a call and schedule a tour,” he added. “We want to show them all the different uses for soy in their lives.”