STORY BEHIND THE ART OF LYNNE RAILSBACK

Abundant Future: Cultivating Diversity in Garden, Farm, and Field

Soy Bean

Glycine max

Although the cultivation of soybeans in Asia began some 4,000 years ago, in the U.S. soybean was infrequently grown, beginning only in the latter half of the 18th century. It was initially used as forage, then became a crop grown for vegetable oil. However, in the 20th century its cultivation increased, with most cultivars originating in China, and the exchange of varieties and cultivars between the two countries has been ongoing. Today it is a significant crop in the U.S., occupying around twenty percent of cultivated agricultural land. Over ninety percent of cultivated soy is genetically modified, mainly to resist herbicides, but a significant and increasing acreage is devoted to organic soy. We grow soybeans on a farm in Iowa and this subject is from the plants we grew there.

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Read more about this artist’s work: 21st Annual