Tuesday, October 16, 2012

A Visit to a Soybean Field

The "official State of Mississippi website" — ms.gov — lists agriculture as Mississippi's number one industry, with soybeans and cotton ranking #3 and #4, respectively, on the top ten list of agricultural crops (after #1 Poultry/Eggs, and #2 Forestry).

According to the records of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mississippi had 460,000 acres planted in cotton this year, which should produce near-record yields, and the USDA estimated the state’s 2.1 million acres of soybeans is also on track to break the state yield record.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited a few of those acres planted in cotton near Vicksburg, and captured over two hundred pictures of the fields and cotton bolls.

I featured a few of those pictures in a post called "A Cotton Patch Adventure," and if you haven't read it, I invite you to click on the link and read that post before you read this one.

Today, I am sharing some pictures of the soybean fields I passed while on my search for "a perfect cotton patch." Although less picturesque than our "Mississippi snow," I found the soybeans to be quite interesting.

As I said, not as pretty as a cotton field ...

But let's take a closer look ...

I can usually find beauty in just about everything I photograph (except, perhaps, the earthworms and snakes!), and I think the soybean pods have a beauty all their own, especially when looked at individually ...

I wanted to see what the actual beans look like, and didn't think the farmer would mind if I broke off a stalk to take home.

And surprise, surprise ... here is what I found inside ... Beans!

3 comments:

C M Designs said...

Hi Janie, I had no "earthly" idea about what soy beans looked like or how they grew.. Thank you for sharing your pictures..
I'm amazed at the "Mississippi snow" also. My family took a trip to Stone Mountain, Georgia many years ago..I found a small grapevine wreath with a small cotton ball attached to a bow on the wreath.. I had to have it.. It was so interesting as was Stone Mountain.
I always enjoy your travels and the pictures that you share with us.. Sometimes I feel as though I've been to Mississippi on a vacation.
Have a wonderful day.
Charlotte in Va.

Carolyn said...

My daddy was a cotton and soybean farmer in northern Arkansas. Your pictures take me back home again.
Beautiful closeup of the amazing soy bean.
Carolyn

The Quintessential Magpie said...

I have to laugh, Janie, at something someone I love once said when asked if he was going to make the transition from growing cotton to soybeans, and I quote, "Sorry, but I'm no $%^& bean farmer!" ;-)

On the flip side, I enjoyed your tour.

XO,

Sheila