Garden tip: What soybeans are used for

The soybean (Glycine max), native to East Asia, is widely grown for its edible bean. The plant is an annual in the pea family, Fabaceae. It grows 2 to 6 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

The United States is the world’s leading soybean producer and second-leading exporter.
Soy milk is a traditional unfermented product made from soybeans. Tofu is made from soy milk.
Fermented soy foods are soy sauce, fermented bean paste, natto (a traditional Japanese breakfast food) and tempeh.

Fat-free soybean meal is a cheap source of protein for animal feed and soybean products like textured vegetable protein (TVP).

According to a report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, 87.6 million acres of soybeans were grown in California in 2021, and there were 1,853 farmers growing this crop.

— Katie Martin, UC Marin master gardener