From firefighting foam to frying oil: Exploring new uses for soy

October 6, 2026

From fighting fires to frying food, soybeans can take the heat.

Coming to you from the Farm Progress Show, this episode of The Bean Scene explores how soy-based firefighting foam helps crews stretch their water supply and how high oleic soybean oil performs in restaurant fryers.

First, Dave Garlie, chemist and chief technology officer at Cross Plain Solutions, explains how a foam made from soybean meal is fighting fires nationwide. Discover why foam matters to rural fire departments working with limited water and how a soy-based option could help address concerns about PFAS chemicals that linger in the environment.

Then, fourth-generation Maryland farmer and United Soybean Board director Travis Hutchison shares why he began growing high oleic soybeans more than a decade ago. He explains how the crop performs on his farm, what makes the oil useful for cooking and what it will take to bring the crop to more farms in the Midwest.

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

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