THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED: WHILE MANY FARMS GREW MORE ACRES, CHAMBERS FARMS GREW NEW MARKETS

摘要

Norm Chambers hasn't grown conventional soybeans since 1988. That's when he sent his first 20-ton container of food-grade soybeans overseas to discerning Japanese buyers. More than 125 years after his forefathers first settled his Corwith, IA, homestead, he and son Jonathan also market their own Laura brand edible soybeans to the health-conscious domestic market. Chambers first developed contacts in Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Japan as an American Soybean Association (ASA) director involved in trade development. "When the Japanese delegation was in the U.S., I invited them to see our farm," Chambers says. "They value the personal business relationship, and seeing where and how their food is grown.