The Introduction of Soybeans

Although oats and corn were the principal crops in the early to mid 1930s in Webster County, soybean cultivation was beginning and as usual uncle Carl was in the forefront in starting this new trend. In these early soybean days, some beans were harvested for hay, but quite soon the harvest was for mature beans only. I can recall however the last summer I was home from college between my junior and senior years at the University of Iowa spending the last week of summer before school was to resume working for our neighbors putting up soybean hay.

By the time WWII started I think uncle Carl had largely stopped growing oats and was into a basic corn-soybeans rotation. It was in this period that he purchased his first (perhaps only) combine which he used for the balance of his farming career. Soybeans are best harvested by combining as they can be safely left standing in the field until they were dry enough to store after combining. I believe uncle Carl did some combining of oats in later years, perhaps using a windrowing technique.