Farmers and commodities groups are always looking for new products for their crops. Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council Director Glen Groth recently attended a demonstration on SoyFoam, which uses soybean meal for firefighting and came away impressed. “Part of the testing process that United Soybean Board and other soybean check-off organizations have been funding is to get the testing completed so this soybean foam product is approved for use in a wide variety of different settings. Right now, it’s going through testing to be approved for the U.S. Forest Service firefighting and has already passed testing for U.S. military use.” Groth notes SoyFoam’s capability for putting fires down is well documented. “A number of fire departments, particularly rural fire departments, have already switched over to the product, as it can be used for Class A and Class B fires.” A new Minnesota law will ban the use of polyfluoroalkyl, a “forever substance” used in many firefighting foams. The law goes into effect in 2025, highlighting the need for more natural options for products.
