{"id":38977,"date":"2026-05-26T10:00:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/?p=38977"},"modified":"2026-05-26T10:00:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:00:40","slug":"illinois-grows-millions-of-bushels-of-soybeans-why-arent-we-eating-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/local-news\/38977-illinois-grows-millions-of-bushels-of-soybeans-why-arent-we-eating-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois Grows Millions of Bushels of Soybeans. Why Aren&#8217;t We Eating Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pdfprnt-buttons pdfprnt-buttons-post pdfprnt-top-right\"><a href=\"javascript: window.print()\" class=\"pdfprnt-button pdfprnt-button-print\" target=\"_self\" ><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-print\/images\/print.png\" alt=\"image_print\" title=\"Print Content\" \/><span class=\"pdfprnt-button-title pdfprnt-button-print-title\">Print<\/span><\/a><\/div><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More local infrastructure urgently needed for Illinois\u2019 own crops, especially soybeans, to make it from farm to table<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By TARA SUN<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medill Illinois News Bureau<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><a href=\"mailto:news@capitolnewsillinois.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">news@capitolnewsillinois.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Article Summary<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illinois grows more soybeans than any other state, but almost none end up as food on Illinois plates.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a trade war freezing exports to China \u2014 one of the biggest buyers of Illinois soybeans \u2014 the state faces an agricultural crisis, and pressure is growing on farmers to bring more soybeans to market as food instead of commodity products.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Illinois farmers, the math is tough: Food-grade soybeans require older genetics that yield 10-15 fewer bushels per acre, and commodity soybeans are more lucrative.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still, some entrepreneurial companies are working to market soy products ranging from soy milk to tofu and more.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CHICAGO \u2014 Inside a factory on Chicago\u2019s North Side, the smell of simmering soybeans drifts through the air. On a typical day, \u201cI use about 4,000 pounds of dry beans,\u201d Jenny Yang said. She and her team grind, cook and press thousands of pounds of soybeans into silky tofu and rich soy milk \u2014 the taste of home for Yang and for many who grew up with tofu on the table.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cShe still makes it the same way \u2014 no preservatives, made mostly by hand,\u201d said Bob Lum, a longtime friend of Yang who helps with the business. Her company, Phoenix Bean, has been making tofu and soy milk this way since she bought it in 2006. It is one of the few businesses in the state that uses Illinois food-grade, non-GMO, or non-genetically modified organism, soybeans, sourced directly from local farms like Janie\u2019s Mill in Ashkum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI know them since back in the day, like at least 10, 15 years,\u201d Yang said. \u201cThis is a good, very good partnership.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illinois grows more soybeans than any other state, harvesting more than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/capitolnewsillinois.com\/news\/illinois-soybean-farmers-welcome-federal-aid-but-fear-long-term-trade-damage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">639 million<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> bushels in 2025, well ahead of Iowa\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilsoy.org\/illinois-remains-top-producing-soybean-state-in-2025\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">595 million bushels<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and Minnesota\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nass.usda.gov\/Quick_Stats\/Ag_Overview\/stateOverview.php?state=MINNESOTA\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">371 million<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> bushels. Lawmakers designated the soybean as the official State Bean in 2025, effective Jan. 1, 2026, with Sen. Doris Turner, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">D-Springfield, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> calling Decatur the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.illinoissenatedemocrats.com\/caucus-news\/75-senator-doris-turner-news?start=32\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201csoybean capital of the world.\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But almost none of those millions of bushels end up as food on Illinois plates. According to the Illinois Soybean Association, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilsoy.org\/focus-areas\/market-development\/world-tour\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">60%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of soybeans grown in the state are exported; most of the remaining <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.agrinews-pubs.com\/opinion\/columnists\/2022\/03\/07\/larson-moving-into-new-markets-with-out-of-the-box-strategies\/#goog_rewarded\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">40%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are processed as animal feed, leaving the state reliant on imports for its soy food.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNinety-five percent of food consumed in the state of Illinois is imported,\u201d said Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, chair of the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee, speaking of Illinois food crops. \u201cIf there were any type of natural disaster, Illinois only has enough food that will last us for three days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2025, with a trade war freezing exports to China \u2014 one of the biggest buyers of Illinois soybeans \u2014 Gov. JB Pritzker declared an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com\/gov-pritzker-issues-executive-order-to-support-illinois-farmers-amid-trumps-tariffs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAgricultural Export Crisis\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on Oct. 29 and directed state agencies to enhance domestic markets. For farmers and food producers, the pressure has made the need for local infrastructure more urgent than ever, raising the question of whether more of Illinois\u2019 own crops, especially soybeans, can finally start feeding more Illinoisans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harper said more effort and massive investment are needed. She sponsored the Local Food Infrastructure Grant program, which provides local farmers with small grants for processing, storage and distribution. She worked closely with the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, a policy advocate for local food and farm communities, to build legislative momentum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have some of the best soil, the best farmland,\u201d Harper said. \u201cNo matter where you are, urban, suburban and rural \u2014 we need to be producing more food in the state.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She described local food production as a win-win that will help create jobs and generate revenue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her downstate colleague, Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, a farmer himself who raises about 1,000 acres of soybeans every year, noted that farmers follow price signals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe are very conservative, and we do everything the same,\u201d Meier said. \u201cBut at the same time, we must be able to change everything in a drop of a second, and we will go wherever the markets are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Illinois farmers, the math is brutal. Food-grade soybeans require older genetics that yield 10 to 15 fewer bushels per acre. Jeff O\u2019Connor, a northern Illinois farmer who has grown food-grade soybeans, said his commodity soybeans averaged in the low 70s bushels per acre last year. His food-grade soybeans, which use varieties more than a decade old, yielded in the low 60s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weed control is another issue. Unlike commodity soy, which allows for certain herbicides, food-grade soybeans are non-GMOs, so farmers can\u2019t use any of those chemicals. Furthermore, fields often look unkept.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou can\u2019t do that again,\u201d one landowner told O\u2019Connor after a season of raising food-grade soybeans. \u201cI don\u2019t care if we made a little more money. They looked terrible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O\u2019Connor, who has grown food-grade beans for large buyers like Danone, is planting none this year. In 2025, the premium for non-GMO, food-grade soybeans averaged <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ussec.org\/news\/new-ussec-report-offers-fresh-insights-on-non-gmo-soybean-production\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$2.53<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> per bushel on top of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nass.usda.gov\/Quick_Stats\/Ag_Overview\/stateOverview.php?state=ILLINOIS\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$10.50<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> commodity soybeans price, bringing the total to approximately $13.03 per bushel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But that extra money, he said, no longer offsets the lower yield, the extra labor, the equipment cleaning, storage segregation and the weed pressure. For many Illinois farmers, switching from commodity soybeans to food-grade soybeans remains a hard sell.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The math is reflected across Illinois. Todd Main, the director of market development for the Illinois Soybean Association, confirmed this tension. While food-grade soybeans are a fast-growing sector, \u201cit\u2019s a relatively small portion of the overall market. Is it fast-growing? Yes,\u201d he said. \u201cBut in volume, not so much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Main pointed to longer-term shifts in global demand. Despite the ongoing crisis with China\u2019s market shrinking, he noted that the association has been exploring new markets in Africa, Southeast Asia and India for soybean exports. But those new trade relationships can take years to build. Under the trade truce announced at the Busan Summit in late 2025, China pledged to purchase <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/fact-sheets\/2025\/11\/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-strikes-deal-on-economic-and-trade-relations-with-china\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12 million metric tons<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of U.S. soybeans by year\u2019s-end, with annual targets of 25 million metric tons through 2028.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, with the truce remaining in effect, no formal long-term purchase agreement has been signed. Returning from a summit to Beijing earlier this month, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ca.finance.yahoo.com\/news\/trump-touts-china-agriculture-deals-122431993.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">President Donald Trump said<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201cThe farmers are going to be very happy. They\u2019re (China) going to be buying billions of dollars of soybeans.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The White House said China had agreed to buy at least <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/fact-sheets\/2026\/05\/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-secures-historic-deals-with-china-delivering-for-american-workers-farmers-and-industry\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$17 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of U.S. agricultural products annually through 2028, on top of those soybean commitments. Beijing has not publicly confirmed the figure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lack of a stable export outlook has highlighted the need for better local infrastructure. Main pointed to a specific priority: bridges. An efficient network of roads, rails and waterways has long been the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/soygrowers.com\/spotlight-on-soy-policy-how-asa-shapes-the-future-of-farming\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">competitive advantage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for U.S. soy in global markets. About 30% of county bridges in Illinois are load-restricted or in poor condition, Main said. \u201cEvery dollar we invest in those bridges, we get more than almost <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilsoy.org\/bridging-the-gap\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$5 back<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That economic return comes from shorter travel times, less wear on vehicles and lower fuel costs. Gov. JB Pritzker announced a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com\/gov-pritzker-announces-largest-infrastructure-program-in-state-history\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$50.6 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, six-year infrastructure plan on Oct. 1, 2025 \u2014 the largest in state history \u2014 which includes $32.5 billion for state roads and bridges. Without those repairs, farmers face significant drawbacks in getting their beans to market.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The gap in Illinois is widening. Demand for soy milk and tofu is growing: Phoenix Bean is currently expanding its USDA-certified organic soybean products from Whole Foods shelves in the Midwest and Northeast to Sprouts shelves in California, distributing nationwide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to find an organic farmer,\u201d Yang said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet O\u2019Connor and other Illinois farmers are turning away from growing food-grade soybeans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen we\u2019re planting a crop here, we\u2019re trying to decide which crop we\u2019re going to lose the least money on,\u201d said Meier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For him, farming is more than a business. \u201cThe farm is a member of the family. It\u2019s been here for generations.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He emphasized that farming practices have improved dramatically, but the economic pressure remains. Until food-grade prices rise significantly, most farmers will stick with commodity soybeans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Harper, the Local Food Infrastructure Grant is a long-term investment, not a quick fix. The program\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/capitolnewsillinois.com\/news\/illinois-farmers-can-feed-illinois-state-grant-program-offers-assistance\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$3.6 million<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a fraction of what is needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFood prices are rising across Illinois and investing in local food infrastructure is essential,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we are still far away from actual investment and implementation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Temporary relief for Illinois soybean farmers is scarce. The gap between what Illinois grows and what Illinois eats remains wide. Shifting Illinois soybean production toward the domestic food market seems difficult in the short term.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The question lingers: Can Illinois feed itself its own soybeans?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou have to start somewhere,\u201d Harper said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tara Sun is a graduate student in journalism with Northwestern University\u2019s Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications, and is a fellow in its Medill Illinois News Bureau working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/capitolnewsillinois.com\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capitol News Illinois<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More local infrastructure urgently needed for Illinois\u2019 own crops, especially soybeans, to make it from farm to table\u00a0 By TARA SUN Medill Illinois News Bureau news@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary Illinois grows [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":38980,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Illinois Grows Millions of Bushels of Soybeans. 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