Page 10 2025 Fall Farm Outlook Lincoln Daily News Oct 2025 The heart of the Midwest - The incredible soybean Soybeans are one of the most versatile and influential crops in American agriculture, feeding livestock, fueling engines, and finding their way into everything from salad dressings to cleaner. For Illinois farmers, soybeans represent not just a product, but heartbeat sown into Midwestern life. “I’ve been a farmer my whole life,” local farmer Mark Hoerbert said. “Even when I was young, we helped Dad. I guess my actual start was probably around 1983 or 1984.” Over the decades, Hoerbert has built his career across Logan, Tazewell, and Mason County, operating on a roughly ten-mile radius of farmland. It’s a modest operation by industrial standards, but one that continues a long family tradition. When asked about how much of his crop goes toward human consumption versus other uses, Hoerbert was direct. “What we raise really isn’t much for human use,” he said. “The corn is mostly for animals and ethanol. And the soybeans — they take oil out of them and use that. There’s a little bit of both corn and soybeans that are used for human food, but that’s usually contracted. Most of what I raise is either ethanol or animal feed.” According to a report by the United Soybean Board, that breakdown reflects the broader reality of soybean farming across the U.S., where roughly 97% of soybean meal is used in livestock feed. The highprotein content of soybean meal makes it a vital part of animal diets, fueling poultry and livestock production throughout the country. The remaining 3% of soybean meal goes toward human food products, including soy milk and meat substitutes. These products are popular among vegetarians, vegans,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzExODA=