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Soybean harvest continues just north of Mansfield, ILL on Wednesday, October 9, 2013.
Darrell Hoemann/Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

News Local/State

How Did The Soybean Become Such A Common Crop In The U.S.?

This story was inspired by a question submitted at a Listening Post the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting held in August. Stuart Levy in Urbana, Illinois, asked us what would be needed for row crop farmers to switch from corn and soybeans to “something more sustainable.” We dug into that question, which starts with the unlikely circumstances that turned the soybean into a multi-billion dollar industry, and what this history might reveal about the future of U.S. agriculture. 

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