View From The Cab

By David Tollefson, Columnist

From the May-June 2024 issue of SOYBEAN, the magazine for Minnesota’s Soybean Growers, was an interesting article about a new use for Minnesota’s soybean crop of somewhere over 380 million bushels!

The article was written by Kristeena Thisius, Director of Marketing for Ag Management Solutions. She oversees their social media platforms, creating, planning and posting content for the Minnesota Soybean Growers and an associated group. Here it is:

U.S. soybean farmers are putting out fires and blazing trails……literally.

As firefighting foam with PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, becomes more regulated, the soybean checkoff has invested its resources into finding a cleaner, environmentally friendly alternative

Introducing SoyFoam TF 1122.

Developed by the Georgia-based company Cross Plains Solutions, SoyFoam TF 1122 is a smothering agent, made from soy flour, capable of extinguishing Class A and Class B fires while eliminating intentionally added PFAS chemicals. There are also no detectable fluorines (less than 1 part per million) in the concentrate.

“This product is a first-of-its-kind and there’s a real need for it here in Minnesota,” says Mike Youngerberg, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) senior director of product development and commercialization.

In May 2023, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed into law banning the sale of certain products containing “intentionally added” PFAS. Minnesota was the second state to broadly ban the forever chemicals, with only several exemptions to date.

“As of Jan. 1, 2024, we were prohibited from using foam with PFAS for testing, training and response, with very few exemptions,” said Matthew Grave, Willmar deputy fire chief. “We have very limited options, so hearing about this new biobased product is encouraging.”

In March, Grave and Youngerberg joined a group of U.S. soybean farmers, firefighters and industry leaders in Dalton, Georgia to see the foam firsthand at a local demonstration.

During the demonstration, the group was able to view SoyFoam TF 1122 used in various scenarios, including ordinary combustibles and diesel fuel. The firefighters also tested two concentrate formulations, including one and three percent.

“This product is unique because it covers both Class A and Class B fires,” Grave said. “Typically, we’d have to carry both.”

The United Soybean Board began investing checkoff dollars into this concept in October 2022. A year later, the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Defense began testing the product. Like many checkoff projects, the firefighting foam took time to develop.

“It’s taken 18 months to get from conception to almost commercialization,” said Alan Snipes, managing partner with Cross plains Solutions.

SoyFoam TF 1122 is the first and only firefighting foam to attain the gold level through GreenScreen Certified for Safer Chemicals, a globally recognized chemical hazard assessment method.

Along with containing no intentionally added PFAS chemicals or detectable fluorines, the foam concentrate is certified 100-percent biodegradable 84-percent. Biobased and made using U.S.-grown soy.

“The environmental advantages have proven themselves,” Snipes said.

Even better, the price comparison is relative.

“Right now, based on what the market is, we see that we are comparable in price, and in some cases, even cheaper,” Snipes said.

Youngerberg, who has seen numerous soy-based products move from the research stage to commercialization during his nearly 40 years with MSR&PC (including biodiesel), says this product is one example of how the checkoff can bring value not only to farmers, but first responders.

“Our firefighters risk so much for our communities,” he said. “The soycheckoff is doing its part to find ways to reduce the use and exposure to harmful chemicals, all while creating a demand for our beans.  That’s a great story to tell.”

In a sidebar to the above story named “FIREFIGHTER HEALTH RISKS”:

According to the International Association of Fire Fighters 66 percent of firefighter deaths between 2002-2019 are linked to cancer. Firefighters are at higher risk of getting several types of cancer, including twice as likely to be diagnosed with testicular cancer and mesothelioma than the general population. Cancer has replaced heart disease as the leading cause of death for firefighters.

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After very little snow last winter, March brought 6.5 inches of snow and very little rain, so our planting got off to an early start.

April brought 4.32 inches of rain, which soaked in very well.

But May has added 4.22 inches of rain, including close to 2 inches the day before writing this. So there is now a lot of water standing in low spots in a lot of fields. My rented 130-acre corn field just south of my farm was planted in great conditions, unusual for that particular piece of ground. The rain after planting resulted in some standing water, which killed the corn seeds in those areas. We replanted some spots in the meantime, and today those spots and others are under water. So, we wonder if our efforts were in vain. And there is more rain predicted before you read this prior to the Memorial Day holiday.

Nationally, large areas of the traditional Corn Belt are still struggling to get their corn and beans planted.

For sure, every year is different!

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Please contact David Tollefson with thoughts or comments on this or future columns at: adtollef@hcinet.net