Construction of soybean oil-based road at Iowa Farm Progress Show location in Boone, IAPhoto: Iowa Soybean Association
(Boone, IA) -- The tens of thousands of visitors to this year's Farm Progress Show in Boone are walking all over some new technology, an acre of road paved with soybean oil and recycled asphalt. It's the result of a partnership between the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), Iowa State University (ISU), Central Iowa Expo and Farm Progress, using new soy technology and recycled materials.
“I’m thrilled to represent the 40,000 Iowa Soybean farmers here through our checkoff dollars and other checkoff dollars from the United Soybean Board, which helped fund the project,” says ISA President Robb Ewoldt, who farms near Davenport. “We developed this high oleic soybean and its oil helps us with this asphalt.”
Eric Cochran, a professor at ISU’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the director of the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, says this is landmark technology.
“This pavement is 100 percent recycled asphalt,” he says. “When resurfacing with this soybean oil, it allows us to use recycled content and it doesn’t end up in the landfill. Thanks to the Iowa Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board for their patience and the time that it took from the laboratory to the field.”
Read more from IHeartMedia Farm Broadcaster Andy Peterson HERE.