State Capitol Celebrates 100 Years of Soybean Production in Arkansas

PICTURED: State Capitol exhibit traces how soybeans grew into Arkansas’ leading row crop. Photo courtesy of the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office.LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Oct. 6, 2026 – The Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board (ASPB), in conjunction with the Arkansas Secretary of State’s Office, brings Arkansas’ 100-year soybean legacy to the State Capitol with a Soy-tennial exhibition showcasing the people, research and innovations behind the state’s top row crop.
Arkansas’ soybean roots trace back to 1926, when Wisconsin native Jacob Hartz Sr. introduced the plant to the state for experimental production. Decades of research, innovation and work by Arkansas farmers transformed those early plantings into a major agricultural industry.
“Arkansas soybeans have played a vital role in our state for 100 years,” said Brad Doyle, ASPB Chairman. “Our farmers’ dedication, alongside research, promotion and education, has made the ‘miracle bean’ Arkansas’s leading row crop. Together, these efforts continue to showcase its versatility, expand innovative uses and grow market demand.”
On the State Capitol’s fourth floor, visitors can explore that evolution through historic artifacts, photographs, farming tools and materials documenting advancements in production and new uses for soy. The exhibit will remain on display through the end of November, coinciding with Arkansas Soybean Month, which the governor proclaims each year.
Today, Arkansas farmers plant roughly 3 million acres of soybeans annually, generating an estimated $2 billion in economic impact and supporting agriculture, Arkansas’s leading industry.
The Capitol serves as the latest stop for the traveling Soy-tennial display, following a series of temporary installments at the Plantation Agriculture Museum in Scott and the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie in Stuttgart. After November, the collection will return to Stuttgart and become a permanent installation at the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie.
The Hartz family, the Plantation Agriculture Museum, the United Soybean Board and other partners contributed materials to the display, preserving pieces of Arkansas agricultural history.
To learn more about the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and soybean’s 100-year legacy, visit TheMiracleBean.com.