E-book gets soybean main character

Apr 13, 2015

Coolbean looks to teach kids that soybeans are cool

In an effort to teach students in grades 3-5 about all things soybeans, an agronomy professor and the Soybean and Wheat Extension Specialist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison created an interactive e-book – Coolbean the Soybean.

Shawn Conley created the e-book to help kids understand where their food comes from, the kind of careers available in agriculture and why soybeans are so important domestically and globally. All while keeping the information fun and interactive for the students.

The book revolves around the main character, Coolbean the Soybean. Throughout the book he teaches the readers about agronomy, different soils and crop sciences. During his journey, Coolbean discusses modern farming practices and the life cycle of how a seed becomes a plant and then ultimately a crop. The book also talks about the importance that sun, soil and water play in the process.

Along the way, readers are introduced to a few different characters. Halia, a farmer who talks about how to be a farmer while taking care of the environment and Aliah, an agronomist who keeps Coolbean safe from the scary things that try to hurt him.

Conley said he originally created the book as a traditional graphic children’s book but ultimately turned it into an e-book because of the digital first mentality of children nowadays.

Coolbean the Soybean is available for download for both Android and Apple devices.

Join the conversation and tell us if the e-book is something you would consider downloading for your children. As a teacher, would this be a useful tool for you to use in the classroom?

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.