GrowNextGen Brings Ohio Soybeans to the Forefront of Agricultural Education
In partnership with: Ohio Department of Agriculture
Did you know that soybeans are in your favorite chocolate bar? Or in that silky smooth lip balm? How about the tires on your car?
GrowNextGen, an agricultural education program backed by the Ohio Soybean Council, is working to teach kids of all ages about the diversity of one of the state’s top crops through real-world education.
Lena Dickerson, a junior at Otterbein University, and Kaylynn Wilhelm, a junior at The Ohio State University, are both GrowNextGen ambassadors.
“We go into classrooms across the state and attend events like county fairs, the Ohio State Fair, and FFA conventions to conduct informal education and outreach about soybeans,” Wilhelm says. “People think they know about soybeans, but there’s so much they don’t know about the crop. The program really spreads awareness about the uses of soybeans.”
Dickerson and Wilhelm have both been part of the program since February 2024. In May, they worked a free event called We Grow Scientists at Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory in Columbus, where they helped students create soybean seed necklaces.
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“I’ve learned through GrowNextGen that sometimes it takes something that people are already interested in, like a fun necklace activity, to make them interested in something else they didn’t know about,” Dickerson says. “Especially for kids, having something to take home really sticks with them.”
The necklaces included two soybeans in a small packet with a cotton ball. A small amount of water, plus the body heat from the wearer’s neck, helps the seeds sprout and start to germinate.
“It’s really fun to see people’s perception around soybeans change immediately, especially when we talk about things like chocolate,” Dickerson says. “People have no idea that soybeans are used in so many things, and we get told a lot that they learned something new.”
Wilhelm agrees that watching the light bulb go on is encouraging.
“You can see when you sparked someone’s interest, and now, they might check the label on everyday
products for soybeans,” she says.
Along with the soybean necklaces, other GrowNextGen activities include helping consumers make their own soy- based lip balm or teaching them how to make a feed ration with sprinkles, Chex Mix, and other ingredients that have the same protein density as soy.
“I think the program not only helps educate kids at a young age about agriculture but also spreads awareness about soybean farmers in Ohio,” Wilhelm says. “Knowing how you’re using these products in everyday life creates a new respect for the producers.”
Learn more about the program at grownextgen.org.