"Beyond the Bean"

According to the September 2013 issue of Beyond the Bean, US soybean farmers are the "most committed to responsible production and continuous improvement". This magazine is solely for soybean farmers, and this issue focuses on how processors should determine the cash prices they pay farmers based on the protein and oil inside the soybeans. Many US soybean farmers use sustainable practices such as soil and water conservation, reduced tillage, precision application of nutrients, crop protection chemicals, and biotechnology. According to this issue, there might be a great opportunity for US soybean farmers in India as it rapidly develops and grows. Most of the yields from soybean farmers in the US goes to the animal- ag sector, since soybean meal is the most healthy feed for animals that humans consume.
Reading this magazine was very relevant to South Carolinian small-scale farming success, since many crop farmers in South Carolina farm soybeans. A notable upcoming technology for soybean farmers that the magazine includes is the UAV, which is a super cam adapted from drone technology. This high- precision tool can fly over fields and spot insects at leaf level, or even identify nitrogen deficiencies within a row. Congress has recently asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop guidelines for UAV use by 2015, because as of right now, UAV technology can only be legally used at universities. Although this technology may not be practical for really small farms, it would definitely be practical for small farms on the larger end of the spectrum.
Another significant development mentioned in the magazine was local- leadership conferences to help educate local farmers on how to prevent farm accident. Chip Petrea, a professor at the University of Illinois, experienced a farm accident years ago on the farm. He is currently studying how stress can affect behavior, which can consequently cause farm accidents. His presentations rarely share the "do's and dont's" of farm safety, but rather the discussion of how behaviors can be distorted when under stress. I contacted Mr. Petrea, and hopefully he will be willing to share more about his research in the prevention of farm accidents. The success of many farmers is largely hindered by health issues, health care, farming accidents, and things of this nature. Most of the farmers that I have interviewed ranked health care and related issues as one of the most difficult barriers to overcome. I plan to further investigate how Obama Care might change this issue in agriculture, and how steps towards the prevention of health issues can be tackled at a more local level.
I love these farming magazines... they provide such brilliant and innovative ways to help combat the barriers in farming success!