The Farm Beat: Meanwhile in the Midwest

The San Joaquin Valley is not soybean-growing country, but the crop from the Midwest is vital to our poultry industry. I thought of this when I got an e-mail today from the Illinois Soybean Association about its new exhibit on the crop at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

You’ve got to give the group credit for making the most of what to most people is a drab product. To quote the press release: “Children can move shapes, press buttons, turn cranks and watch as soybeans are planted, grown and harvested,” David Hartke, chairman of the ISA board, said. “Whether they are pressing buttons to see the stages of growth or turning the crank to make the combine work, they will be entertained and educated.”

You may have read that there’s an Ag Science Center being planned for the Modesto Junior College west campus. It will be far more elaborate than the soy exhibit, since our area has such diversity in farming — fruits, nuts, vegetables, dairy, etc. But there’s one thing at the heart of both efforts: Getting young people to appreciate the source of their food.