The South Dakota Soybean Checkoff is partnering with Goodyear to donate sets of soybean-based tires to 50 sheriff's departments across South Dakota.
The Highway Patrol, City of Sioux Falls and the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources will also receive some of the tires. They're manufactured with soybean oil instead of petroleum oil.
Governor Kristi Noem applauded Goodyear for making a tire that the company says is better quality and lower-priced. The governor announced the tire partnership at a Thursday event in Sioux Falls.
“Sometimes people talk about when you used reusable product that you are settling on quality, and we are not doing that with these tires," Noem said.
Noem is excited to have another outlet for soybeans from South Dakota while reducing the nation's dependence on petroleum products.
“While we rely heavily on petroleum and coal products, we recognize that we are growing crops here that can be part of that solution," Noem said.
Noem said innovative, ag-based products are a perfect fit for the state.
“Here in South Dakota what we do is find solutions," she said. "We recognize those challenges, but we’ve been far ahead of the game on this because we believe in what our farmers can produce and how innovative we can be in making new products, and I think we are in there to compete.”
Goodyear is expecting to have its entire line of tires become soybean-based by the year 2040.