Farm C0-Op Markets Specialty Soybean Products

Farm C0-Op Markets Specialty Soybean Products 28-6-9 A group of about 200 Mich. soybean producers are adding value to their product by processing their own beans for human consumption. The "Thumb Oilseed Producers" are making cooking oil, low fat soy flour and soy grits. The products are non-GMO, which sets them apart in the marketplace so they are not competing directly with the giant processors. It also makes them more attractive to Europe and Japan. According to plant operations manager Don Booms, the coop's unique extruding process leaves 3 percent oil in the refined soybean product, improving the taste. The coop's flour and grits are used in the food industry as additives to reduce the overall carbohydrate level. And their cooking oil has no trans fatty acids and no cholesterol because of a more natural style of physical processing. "We're also certified to process organic soybeans so a portion of what we sell is marketed as organic," he says. "Our biggest strength is that we have our own raw material. That's the main idea of the whole thing - we want to be our own middleman and that means it's more profitable for our members." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Thumb Oilseed Producer's Cooperative, 2145 Leppek Rd, Ubly, Mich. 48475 (ph 989 658-2344 or 866 658-2344; fax 989 658-2372; email: thumboilseed@hotmail.com; website: www. thumboilseed.com).

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