CAMDEN, Ind. – The American Soybean Association (ASA) will celebrate its 100th anniversary next month at the Indiana farm where the organization was founded.

Originally called the National Soybean Growers’ Association, the group was started by Taylor, Noah and Finis Fouts, brothers who farmed in Camden. It became the ASA in 1925.

The anniversary event is Aug. 4. ASA was formed Sept. 3, 1920, the same day as the first Corn Belt Soybean Field Day at the family’s Soyland Farms. About 1,000 farmers from six states attended the field day. ASA and its affiliated state associations currently represent more than 300,000 soybean farmers.

“When they started it, it wasn’t like, ‘let’s start this great organization’,” said Elisha Modisett Kemp, great-great-granddaughter of Noah Fouts. “They were looking for a way to get more farmers interested in growing soybeans. At the time, soybeans were used for livestock feed. What they were able to start has grown exponentially. They’d be surprised and pleased by the uses for soybeans today and by the global markets.”

Soybeans first came to this country in the 1800s, said Ron Heck, past ASA president and an Iowa farmer. They were used as ballast in empty boats returning from China after delivering goods from the United States.

“Soybeans were originally used in this country for hay or forage,” he said. “We didn’t really appreciate their value. China used them as human food then.”

Eventually, American farmers came to understand the virtues of soybeans – they’re 80 percent high quality complete protein and 20 percent oil, Heck said. They became more popular and widespread as soybean breeding got better and more uses were found.

“The soybean association recognized the potential,” he explained. “It showed farmers how to raise and use them. They took off around the 1960s; they became more than just another crop. An export market was developed. That’s the funny thing. Soybeans are an Asian product brought here. We developed them and send them back to them in large quantities.”

The look of soybeans has changed over the years, Heck noted. “When they were grown for hay, they were tall and viney. They were taller – as much as chest high – without as many pods. Today, they’re bred as short as possible. A field is lush looking, like a carpet that’s knee high. Over time, we’ve steadily added about a bushel in yield a year as breeding gets better.”

The anniversary celebration’s organizers are limiting the number of attendees to 180 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and USDA Deputy Secretary Steve Censky are expected to attend. The day – free for attendees – will also include self-guided tours, history displays and the unveiling of a historical marker. For more information and to register, visit https://soygrowers.com/registration-for-asa-events-aug-3-6-2020/. The event will be livestreamed.

The organization “started because a couple of farmers were passionate about something,” said Charles Atkinson, chair of the 100th anniversary committee and a member of ASA’s board of directors. “They knew they had a new product and they were developing a new industry. They needed to be known in Washington, D.C. Soybeans weren’t listed on the CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) then. They realized they needed to be a voice. You think of all the things we use soybeans for. They had a forward vision to think about all of this.”

Atkinson said he’s not sure that advocacy has changed that much over the last 100 years. “We’re still talking with members of Congress about what’s happening, what our concerns are,” he said. “We’re letting our legislators know what’s going on. Today, they all know who soybean farmers are. There’s also a united front with all commodities working together. We work with legislators and decision makers at the state and federal levels. We want to be proactive rather than reactive.”

In addition to growing soybeans and forming the ASA, the Fouts brothers also created their own farm machinery and had their own elevator and seed company, Kemp said. “They loved brainstorming with other farmers. What it has evolved into today is just phenomenal. We’re happy to see it grow. We’re absolutely honored that the association has included us in the event. The historical marker is really meaningful.”