Admit it, you’ve done it before. We’ve all done it. We can’t help ourselves. We’ll read some neat factoid on social media and in due course, end up finding a way to work it into conversation in some desperate attempt to seem interesting. Ok, well maybe I’m the only one – but I doubt it. More often than not though, everyone has already seen the same thing you have and practically stumble over each other in calling you out for trying to pass this nugget of information off as your own knowledge. My favorite one this time of year is the old standby I like to show off at Thanksgiving. You know the one, how the tryptophan in turkey makes you sleepy. Well, since I started working for the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board (ASPB), I’ve learned a lot of such tidbits of information concerning Arkansas’s soybean industry and have been amazed at what people don’t realize about it. For instance, did you know soybeans are Arkansas’s top row crop? In fact, there are more soybean acres in Arkansas than there are rice, corn, sorghum, and wheat combined. Didn’t see that one coming did you?
It’s true. With approximately 3 million acres planted each year in Arkansas, the soybean industry has an annual economic impact of nearly $2 billion. Believe it or not, Arkansas consistently ranks among the top ten soybean producing states in the US. Like all farming organizations, the Arkansas soybean industry’s story is as unique and interesting as the people who make it up.
For several years now, The Communications Group has worked with the ASPB as its agency of record, helping the board tell that story. From that effort was born a tradition that is now celebrated every November in Arkansas – Soybean Month. With stats as impressive as those mentioned above, it was an easy case to make to the Governor who deemed the contributions of soybean farmers worthy of a month-long celebration in their honor. It’s a tradition we’re proud to be a part of.
Here’s another factoid to put in your back pocket. Agriculture represents Arkansas’s largest industry. In total, agriculture is a $21 billion industry in Arkansas, which means soybeans alone account for almost 1/10th of that total. But, why does this matter to you? In my role, I find myself asking this question a lot these days, especially when I’m trying to put myself in the customer’s shoes. Well, the answer is pretty surprising. Soybeans are used to make a variety of products that the average consumer uses on a daily basis. Products that make consumers’ lives better, easier, more convenient, even healthier. Importantly, too, soybeans are used to create innovative products in an environmentally and economically sustainable way.
What I appreciate about soybeans, about the industry and the farmers who produce them, is the modesty. You would be amazed at what soy is used for. Go open a cabinet in your pantry or under your sink. Odds are, you’re going to find soy somewhere in there. If not, just remember the next time you’re driving your car to thank a soybean farmer, because it’s their soybeans that were used to create the foam in your bucket seats. Seriously, soy is found in so many places you would never have known if you weren’t paying attention. When you consider all that soy has to offer, giving the crop and the farmers who produce it a little recognition each year seems like the right thing to do.
So, I hope you’ll join us in celebrating Arkansas’s soybean farmers this November during Soybean Month, and take a little time learning about the industry. If you do, be sure to visit TheMiracleBean.com to see for yourself how we’re helping the ASPB tell its story. Interested in how we can help tell your organization’s story? Give us a call or click over to ComGroup.com.