Meet Alexander and Charlie - the farm boy and his helpful dog who
narrate the busy life of a modern, working soybean farm in this fun and
informative picture book about a family growing one of the top crops of
American agriculture
The busy days and many jobs of a farm family, the life cycle of a
soybean plant, and its life as a crop getting to market are all detailed
in My Family's Soybean Farm, a picture book on what it takes to grow
soybeans, and how the crop becomes the many products we use every day.
Each spread walks readers through the many steps of planting and growing
the crop throughout the seasons, with extensive text features placed
beside the story offering range of additional information for readers,
from STEM concepts to illustrations of farm equipment, diagrams, and
more. The family's working together is highlighted throughout, across
traditional roles and with modern-day tech: Alexander watches as Mom
drives the tractor in a modern cab complete with GPS technology, and
later, he and Dad check the crop both with age-old techniques like
walking the fields ("crop scouting") and by using the latest drone
technology, too. Detailed drawings show the life cycle of the soybean
crop, as well as diagrams on larger concepts, like how soybeans are
alternated with corn for soil preservation.
Illustrations and information about literally every farm vehicle and
other vehicles involved in growing soybeans and getting them to market
are also here - including tractor and planter, sprayer, wagons and grain
bins, processors, and finally, even barges and trains to get the crops
to markets both domestic and around the world. Spreads also show how
soybeans are used in a range of products, from Charlie's bowl of dog
food, to foods like soy sauce, feed for farm animals, and more.
About the publisher: Feeding Minds Press is a project of the
American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture whose mission is to
build awareness and understanding of agriculture through education. We
focus on helping young readers understand where their food comes from,
who grows it, and how it gets to them and believe in cultivating
curiosity about food and farming and how agriculture plays a role in our
daily lives. All books from Feeding Minds Press have accompanying
lessons, activities, and videos to further learning available on their
website, www.feedingmindspress.com.
