Details Make the Difference: New Approach to Soybean Meal Looks at Bigger Picture

Nov 23, 2020

By Karey Claghorn

Buyers of soybean meal have traditionally measured its value simply through protein content, but new research proves that the difference is in the details. All quality indicators – crude protein, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, sugars, and amino acid profiles – should be taken into account by purchasers to consider the meal’s true value.

A recent meta-analysis looked at 18 different studies and 1,944 samples of soybeans from Argentina, Brazil, India, and the United States to quantify the relationship between the country of origin and the chemical composition, protein quality, and nutritive value of the resulting soybean meal. The data from this study were then processed by the Nutrient Value Calculator (NVC), a software tool constructed by Genesis Feed Technologies. Genesis co-founder and CEO Peter Schott provides more detail in Feedstuffs about how this tool was developed to translate the nutritional value of soybean meal into dollars per metric ton. The nutritional value spread or nutritional value difference between origins combined with the relevant price data between the origins can help feed ingredient buyers to more easily compare and contrast the nutrient value of different feed options and demonstrate the savings that come with high nutrient value ingredients such as U.S. Soy.

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Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.