MANKATO, MN (04/21/2009)(readMedia)-- April is Soyfoods Month and to showcase the health benefits and versatility of soyfoods, the Nicollet/Sibley County Soybean Growers Association Board donated more than $600 worth of soyfood products to three area food shelves.
"We thought this would be a unique and charitable way to highlight soyfoods," said John Luepke, a soybean farmer from Courtland and a member of the Nicollet/Sibley Soybean Growers Association board. Other participants included Jerry Payne and Sue Bentz, both of St. Peter, and Gary Lager of North Mankato.
The board members shopped at the HyVee grocery store in New Ulm, where store managers gave the group a 10 percent bonus on their total purchase. This resulted in an extra $60 of purchasing power.
Sharon Sanford, director of the Brown County Food Shelf, participated in the shopping, giving direction as to which items would be most utilized. The list included pancake mix, soups, snack bars, boxed "helper" dinners and saltine crackers - all of which contain soy.
In addition to the Brown County Food Shelf, donations are also planned for food shelves in St. Peter and Gaylord.
This Soyfoods Month activity was made possible through the support of the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and the soybean checkoff. For more information about soyfoods, health benefits and recipes visit www.mnsoybean.org.