JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Soybeans welcomed farmers, first responders and industry leaders to the Farm for Soy Innovation on June 4 for the Grain Smart Field Day—an event focused on promoting grain bin safety, showcasing innovative tools that protect lives and increasing revenue through proper management.
Sponsored by Ag Growth International (AGI), the field day provided hands-on learning and demonstrations centered around grain storage safety and efficiency. AGI representatives were on site to showcase the company’s BinManager system and other cutting-edge grain handling solutions.
The day also featured a live training led by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) and Nationwide, a grain entrapment rescue simulation using a mobile grain bin simulator, and a fire suppression demonstration using SoyFoam—a soy-based, PFAS-free firefighting foam developed by Cross Plains Solutions.
SoyFoam, made from U.S.-grown soybeans, is a biodegradable and safer alternative to traditional chemical foams. With growing concerns about PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), SoyFoam offers fire departments a renewable, lower-risk solution that supports both public health and U.S. agriculture.
“Technology makes our job easier, safer and more efficient,” said Gale Blomenkamp, support services bureau director with the Boone County Fire Protection District, which conducted the SoyFoam demonstration. “Firefighters face a four-times higher risk of cancer than the average person due to exposure to combustion products. If we can reduce that risk by using PFAS-free foam like SoyFoam, it’s better for our firefighters, better for our community and better for the environment. It’s biodegradable, less toxic to wildlife, and it just makes sense—especially in a farming community where supporting farmers also supports public safety.”
Additionally, to support rural emergency response teams, Missouri Soybeans sponsored grain bin rescue tubes for fire departments in East Prairie and Martinsburg. These departments join more than 390 others across the country that have received similar life-saving tools since Nationwide’s Grain Bin Safety campaign began in 2014.
Grain bin safety remains a critical concern in rural communities. Each year, thousands of farmers and grain handlers risk their lives by entering bins to remove clumped or spoiled grain. Without proper equipment and training, even routine tasks can turn deadly.
“It only takes seconds—or a simple mistake—for someone to sink in the quicksand-like flow of grain and become fully entrapped or engulfed,” said Brad Liggett, president of agribusiness at Nationwide. “Adding to the risk is a lack of rescue equipment available to local fire departments and emergency responders.”
Since the campaign’s launch, at least 13 lives have been saved using grain rescue tubes and related training—including six successful rescues in the past year alone.
“A lot of times, safety is easy to overlook. We tell ourselves, ‘Well, this one time it’ll be fine to go without.’ But this experience really drove home the fact that every time you enter a bin, you have to be aware, have a safety plan, and have someone else on site with you,” said Kyle Durham, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council board member and farmer from Norborne, Mo.
Missouri Soybeans plans to expand its investment in grain bin rescue equipment and continue supporting on-farm safety initiatives through checkoff-funded programs focused on innovation, education and farmer well-being.
For more information about the Grain Smart initiative, SoyFoam, or future safety partnerships, visit mosoy.org.