Learning Soybeans, from feed to fuel, and more!
The soybean industry is a critical part of US agriculture and connects to many other parts of the economy. Understanding how the crop is grown is a central to building trust with customer and colleagues. It can also help develop a greater sense of self-confidence and operational autonomy. Grounded in Ag has the courses to take you from day one in agriculture to a place of deep understanding and critical thinking in the details soybean production and use.
Learning from the Experts
One of the pieces that drives the impact of Grounded in Ag is that all of the courses and lessons include perspectives from people in the industry who live this day in and day out.
Each course provides decades of experience from people who live ag, and we ground it with team members who have recently joined agriculture throughout the development and publishing process to ensure the material is understandable and accessible. The complete list of experts helping with Ag 101, Sustainability, and Focus on Crops is on our website, and Soybean course will have a full slate of farmers and industry experts to guide you.
A Systems Approach to Building Knowledge
Our courses are designed to meet people where they are and begin developing the depth of knowledge, vocabulary, and understanding of agriculture that can be elusive to build without focused, structured efforts. For people seeking to understand soybeans, there is a four-course program.
Ag 101 and Sustainability Set the Foundation
The Ag 101 course provides multiple sources across the US to provide you with the basic building blocks you need to understand agriculture, but more than that, we give you the context you need to put that information to work right away. The video modules in this course are designed to help you understand:
- Farmers, the way they set up their businesses, the changes they see happening, and their communities
- The industry and business as it works in the real world, with topics including cash flow, mental health, equipment, and farming organizations
The Sustainability course will help you understand the intersection of agriculture and sustainability and what that means for people and planet.
- Sustainability from multiple perspectives discussing varying approaches to soil, water, carbon & climate, pollinators & wildlife, and people.
- Farm tours to show you how farmers apply sustainability concepts to their daily work and business decisions
(more than 6.5 hours running time)
Depth in Crops Comes Via Focus
Once you have the foundational knowledge of agriculture, we begin layering in depth. This course covers growing crops for food, feed, fiber, and fuel. Lessons come from farmers and experts who have spent years, many even decades in their fields or fields of study.
Topics range from decisions about what crops to plant and how varieties/hybrids are chosen to some of the seasonal activities undertaken. Experts in weed science, entomology, and plant pathology also provide in-depth lessons on these critical challenges farmers face in the field and how the ways those challenges can be addressed.
(more than 2 hours running time)
Deep Dive into Soybeans
Soybeans are one of the biggest crops in the US, so an understanding of the industry and the challenges faced in a season is critical for someone who hasn't spent a lot of time on a farm. This course provides a depth of information that significantly reduces the learning curve.
This course includes video and printed materials to accompany lessons on:
- Soybean Facts and Trivia
- Soybean Production for a Year – A visual look at the various points of the season.
- Farmers and Experts in Soybeans - Get an up-close look at the soybean industry from 3-5 farmers and experts as they take you deep into the topic to build on the strength of your understanding.
- Soybean Organizations, Media, and Events to Know
(more than 2 hours running time)
Learn About Crops & Livestock
Grounded in Ag has programming that includes the basics on livestock sectors and commodity crops. Each commodity course takes a similar approach, moving from basics to greater depth and insight, and the full package (more than 20 hours) comes at a reasonable rate. The full slate of courses includes:
The educational program you have bean looking for!
Soybeans are one of the biggest crops in the US and touches so many aspects of our lives in ways most folks don't even realize. Growing soybeans works with so many other aspects of agriculture, but many of us haven't had a chance to get to know what it takes. This 2+ hour course will help you develop and build out the knowledge that will help you understand the crop's growth, the challenges faced, the farmers who grow it, and more.
