The "See For Yourself" group

Here is the entire "See For Yourself" tour group. It is made up of United Soybean Board directors, soybean farmers, media, and checkoff staff. We had a terrific time and learned a great deal about how checkoff dollars are being used to open new markets for U.S. soy growers. We want to say thanks to the soybean growers for including us in this adventure.

Tequila, Mexico

The final stop of the tour was the Jose Cuervo distillery in Tequila, Mexico.  Tequila production is tightly tied to the history of Mexico and this region in particular, so it was interesting to hear about its production and heritage.  Tequila is produced from the heart of the agave plant, seen here.  These pine cone shaped bulbs are steamed and pressed and then fermented and distilled to produce the tequila.  

The agave are maintained and harvested by Jimadors, men who usually pass down the trade for generations.  A Jimador gave us a demonstration on how to trim and harvest the agave plants with an amazingly sharp machete.  And notice, he is doing all of this in sandals!  We checked, and yes he still has all of his fingers and toes.  

I don't think you'll get much milk!

Pedro was our guide and interpreter through much of the tour.  He works for the Soybean Checkoff in Mexico and was a valuable host all week.  He also liked to have a lot of fun, including this moment with the cement cow on the grounds at Oleofinos.

Oleofinos Group

The second stop on Friday was at Oleofinos Group, a soybean oil crusher and refiner. We saw a number of production lines ranging from edible soybean oil to soaps and palm oil solids.  

Aquatic Depot

Our first Friday stop on the "See For Yourself" Tour was the Aquatic Depot, a fish genetics and production facility that uses soybean meal for feed. Tilapia production is a growing industry in Mexico, and the Aquatic Depot is a leading provider of fingerlings for other fish farms, so its support of soy protein for feed is important for U.S. soy growers. During the visit we saw the egg collection and development process as well as the tank facilities for tilapia production. Be sure to check out the video on tilapia production below.

Aquaculture in Mexico

While on the "See For Yourself" tour with the soybean checkoff, we visited an aquaculture facility near Guadalajara. Aquaculture is a growing industry in Mexico, with much of the production focusing on talapia. In fact, the country hopes to boost production enough to start exporting talapia to the United States. That is good news for U.S. soy growers as the Mexican fish farms are increasingly using soy protein. While at the farm, Mike Adams talked with Francisco De La Torre, the aquaculture program manager for the American Soybean Association about how the fish are raised and the potential for U.S. soy business.

A little taste of Mariachi to end the day