One of the most frequent comments spewed by those who want to bash Real World soybeans is that they are “just another ag bean”. In fact this comment has been perpetuated by competitors as a way to slow the tremendous growth, popularity and market share that Real World soybeans have experienced. Ironically the loudest critics of Real World soybeans are people who are either connected to a competitor or have never tried them.

Consider these facts when you hear someone say that Real World soybeans are “just ag beans”; Real World has been selling their whitetail soybean blend for 10 years now. During those 10 years, sales have at least doubled each year and continue to do so. In fact, sales in March of 2018 were 2.59 times higher than for March 2017. If Real World soybeans were nothing more than a marketing fad, don’t you think the public would have caught on after a decade and sales would be declining instead of doubling each year?

So what makes Real World soybeans different than ag soybeans?

To begin Real World soybeans are a blend containing 4 different soybean varieties. Real World has tested hundreds of soybean varieties to find the ones with the very best traits for wildlife food plots. Real World soybeans are higher in oil content than most ag soybeans making them more palatable and more attractive to wildlife. They are also more shatter resistant, meaning the soybean pods do not break open and drop the soybeans onto the ground as is common with most ag soybean varieties. Real World has customers who are actually soybean farmers that plant hundreds of acres of soybeans each year. These farmers have seen the difference in Real World soybeans when compared to their typical ag soybeans and now plant Real World soybeans in their plots each.

If Real World soybeans are so great, how come farmers don’t plant them in their fields?

We have actually had a few farmers plant Real World soybeans in their fields and harvest them, so it does happen. The wildlife food plotter has 3 primary choices when it comes to selecting soybeans for food plots- Real World soybeans, ag soybeans or forage soybeans. Each of these different soybean options were developed for specific applications.

Let’s look at an analogy using corn as a comparison. Field corn grown by farmers in their fields is a good comparison to ag soybeans. It was developed for maximum grain yield and intended to be harvested early in the fall at the end of the plants life-cycle. Real World soybeans were designed to offer high-quality food to wildlife through the entire winter, long after ag soybeans have been harvested.

In this analogy sweet corn could be compared to Real World soybeans as it is definitely more palatable to both humans and wildlife than field corn. A patch of sweet corn will draw in every raccoon and deer from a long ways. So when someone asks why farmers don’t plant Real World soybeans in their fields, the answer is the same as why you don’t plant field-corn in your garden – different varieties for different applications. In the case of both corn and soybeans there is definitely a better option for attracting wildlife than the varieties grown by farmers in their fields.

So with this corn/soybean comparison analogy where do forage soybeans fit in? Forage soybeans can be compared to the decorative colored “Indian corn” often used for decorations. Like Indian corn, forage soybeans has its niche or application and is noticeably different than other varieties so it catches peoples eye and their attention. The obvious truth is that Indian corn is different than both sweet corn and field corn just as forage soybeans are different than other soybeans. “Different” doesn’t necessarily better however; again it depends on the application.

Just as different corn varieties have different applications so too does each soybean variety have its best fit. The fact of the matter is, in much of the country Real World soybeans are by far the best soybean product for wildlife food plotters. If your opinion differs, then simply plant one bag of Real World soybeans next to whatever other variety you think is better and see for yourself.

Forage soybean proponents often say that deer wont eat soybeans once they start to mature and turn yellow. This buck and thousands of other have proven this claim to be totally false.

The Forage Soybean Hype

Forage soybeans have often been promoted for their “superior forage” and “higher protein content” in their leaves. The fact of the matter is, Real World has notebooks full of tissue sample analyses from both forage soybeans and Real World soybeans growing side-by-side in numerous test plots across the country. These analyses were done by an independent lab. Almost every time, the Real World soybeans showed higher nutrient values, particularly protein levels, total digestible nutrients (TDN) and relative feed values (RFV).

One more thought regarding forage soybeans; Real World Wildlife Products has made multiple offers to supply free soybean seed for independent side-by-side trials conducted by various groups as well as professional agricultural companies. The only stipulation that Real World made was that they would donate as much free seed for these trials as the leading forage soybean company would also donate. To date the forage soybean company has refused to take part in any such side-by-side trials. Could it be they already know what the results would be? Real World remains open to taking part in such trials provided they are independently ran and fair to both products.

We frequently get new customers calling and saying that they have planted either forage soybeans or ag soybeans in the past but have heard good things about Real World soybeans and this year they are going to switch soybeans and try them. When we get these kinds of calls we encourage the customer to not switch all of their soybean plots to Real World soybeans but instead to just buy half Real World soybeans and half forage soybeans or whatever other soybean they have been planting. We are confident about how well Real World soybeans will do in side-by side trials. If we can get a customer to do the side-by-side comparison it shows them the huge differences where it matters most – on their own property. We then gain a repeat customer and in following years they will almost always plant 100% Real World soybeans in their plots.

Many food plotters have fallen for the forage soybean hype and some have fallen for the false claim that Real World soybeans are “just ag beans”. The differences are really as stark as night and day. If you have been planting either forage soybeans or regular ag soybeans in your food plots, maybe 2018 should be the year that you do your own side-by-side trial. After all, don’t you want to provide the very best option for the wildlife on your property?

If you have never hunted over a soybean plot in the late season, you have no idea what you are missing. During brutal cold late-season weather, Real World soybeans draw deer like a magnet!