Bean to Breakfast with Erik Lightner, Craig Rowles and the Waveland Cafe

May 5, 2026

It's National Egg Month — and on The Bean Scene, we're following the journey of an Iowa soybean from the field to an egg on your breakfast plate.

Erik Lightner, former CEO of Platinum Crush, opens the episode from one of Iowa's newest soybean processing facilities in Alta, where over 40 million bushels of soybeans are crushed each year into the meal, oil and fiber products that feed Iowa's livestock - including laying hens.

Dr. Craig Rowles, VP of Strategic Projects at Versova Management Cooperative, breaks down just how much soy goes into egg production — and why Iowa's soybean farmers and egg producers are more intertwined than either may realize.

And David Stone, owner of the Waveland Cafe in Des Moines, gives us a peek behind the counter of a 40-year breakfast institution — including the secret behind their famous hashbrowns. Spoiler: soybean oil is involved!

This episode of The Bean Scene is brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and funded by the soybean checkoff.

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