(Photo: Iowa Soybean Association / Joclyn Kuboushek)
Rural Route 2: Iowa's first three beans
August 3, 2026 | Bethany Baratta
When J.R. Jackson planted three soybean seeds near Davenport in the spring of 1852, he couldn’t have imagined how Iowa agriculture would evolve. As the first to grow soybeans in the state, Jackson recorded his trial in a letter to the Prairie Farmer: “I began with three beans, and the first year I got nearly a pint… and I have now got about two bushels.”
He would be delighted to see that Scott County farmers routinely record some of the highest yields in the state. The USDA reported a massive 67.7 bushels per acre countywide average for the 2025 crop year — a far cry from Jackson’s original handful of seeds.
Jackson initially eyed the “Japan bean” for the dinner table, though his early reviews were mixed: “They are tender after being boiled for a long time but will not break to pieces... for soup or baking, they are far behind the small white beans.”
He’d be pleased to learn that soyfoods have come a long way. Today, Iowa-grown soy feeds global demand for everything from edamame and tofu to traditional fermented favorites like tempeh and miso.
Beyond being first in Iowa, Jackson’s true breakthrough was recognizing the plant’s potential for livestock: “I think that they will be profitable to cultivate for cattle… My cattle eat the small stalks, and seem to be quite fond of them.”
While today’s producers don’t typically graze standing beans, livestock remains the undisputed engine of the soy economy, accounting for 97% of domestic soybean meal usage. Processed meal is a dietary staple for cattle, hogs and poultry. Dairy cows have also optimized their rations with soy, thanks in part to modern research funded directly by the soybean checkoff.
Jackson operated by trial and error — he didn’t have ISA’s network of agronomists to help him, after all. He dealt with thick, woody stalks, planting them between wide five-foot rows of corn: “Many of them were over three feet high and so strong that I found a shingling hatchet the best tool to cut them with.”
Today, Jackson would marvel at advanced genetics that help crops withstand volatile weather, as well as the narrow 15-to-30-inch rows that optimize modern fields. Picture him climbing into the buddy seat of Robb Ewoldt’s combine today. Instead of a shingling hatchet, Jackson would look out over digital controls, real-time yield mapping, and precision tools capturing data with every pass across the Scott County soil.
Jackson wrote that he simply wanted to “enlighten one another” and “contribute my mite.” Nearly 175 years later, his early trials have transformed Iowa into a global soybean powerhouse. I wonder what the next 175 years has in store?
Written by Bethany Baratta.
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