November/December 2026 Our Ohio
The theme of the November/December issue of Our Ohio magazine is health, safety and risk, and we explore all three in various ways.
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Key Points
- SoyFoam extinguishes fires effectively without harmful PFAS “forever chemicals,” creating a safer option for firefighters and the environment.
- The bio-based foam opens a potential market for 12 million bushels of U.S. soybeans.
- To help purchase the new product, the Ohio Soybean Council offers fire departments a 50% reimbursement.
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There are two reasons Steve Reinhard is in favor of using SoyFoam as a fire repellent.
First, the soybean farmer and Crawford County Farm Bureau member sees the product as a viable market for his crop. Second, as a volunteer firefighter, he has witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of it when battling a blaze.
“It’s a reliable product,” he said.
Colt Cline, assistant fire chief in Harrison Township in Pickaway County, participated in a SoyFoam demonstration and also said he was impressed at how quickly the staged fires were extinguished.
“It does seem to be safe,” he said. “It worked wonderfully.”
The product they are referring to is called SoyFoam by Cross Plains Solutions, which is based in Georgia. The company is in partnership with the United Soybean Board, the national soybean checkoff program, to expose more fire departments across the country to the product.
Earlier this year, a demonstration of the product was hosted by Delaware, Franklin, Madison and Union County Farm Bureaus in conjunction with the Ohio Soybean Council.
Cline’s fire department is among many considering the PFAS-free SoyFoam product aimed at providing more safety for firefighters.
In an effort to support the switch to a new foam, the Ohio Soybean Council recently announced a program offering Ohio fire departments reimbursement for 50% of the purchase cost, up to $1,000 per department, to help departments purchase the foam.
SoyFoam product benefits
SoyFoam works like traditional firefighting foam that quickly smothers a fire. The difference is the absence of PFAS substances that feature strong carbon bonds, or “forever chemicals,” that don’t degrade naturally.
A 2025 study by the American Cancer Society showed that for skin cancer, the mortality rate for firefighters was 58% higher than nonfirefighters. For kidney cancer, the rate of death from the disease was 40% higher.
“Not only does SoyFoam create a safer product for firefighters and the environment, it opens a new market for U.S. soybean farmers,” said Madi Corbi, director of demand and market development for the Ohio Soybean Council.
Corbi said there’s a potential 12 million bushels of soybeans to come to market because of Cross Plains Solutions, as soybean farmers are investing in new markets for U.S. soy, including the bioproducts market.
While SoyFoam is making the rounds at firehouses, farmers such as Reinhard are encouraged by the crop’s multiple uses. He rattles off soybean meal and soybean oil among byproducts that have worked their way into the marketplace for use in consumer goods such as shoes, tires and diesel fuel.
“We have 12 million bushels of soybeans,” Reinhard said. “It’s always good when we can use our own product.”
What’s Next
Funding for the Soy-Based Firefighting Foam Reimbursement Program is available on a first-come, first-served basis, with one application per department each year.
My first recommendation in your journey is to start out with a local farming friend or mentor along with joining an organization like Ohio Farm Bureau.
We’re just so thankful for the Farm Bureau and the foundation for helping put this together. And of course, the Boyert family for the vision they had with this grant. It’s jumping us forward 10 years. It’s unbelievable.
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
It wasn’t until I joined the Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau that I truly saw how my passion could translate into leadership, advocacy and a career.
The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
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