DeKalb County was a contributor to the crowning of Illinois as the top soybean-producing state in the nation in 2013.

Illinois harvested 462 million bushels of soybeans in the fall, which is 51 million more than any other state in the United States, according to a Jan. 12 news release from Gov. Pat Quinn’s office.

DeKalb farmer Paul Rasmussen, a member of the Illinois Soybean Association, said he likes seeing things grow, running his own business and watching his plants grow to their best ability.

“It’s a gratifying and humbling business I am in,” Rasmussen said. “I grow corn and soybeans. It gives me diversity and spreading of your risk, and soybeans in 2013 were somewhat better than average.”

DeKalb County resident and farmer Duane Dahlman, DeKalb County resident and farmer, said Illinois is constantly ranked No. 1 or No. 2 with competing state Iowa.

“Using the right genetics, knowing the crop history of my farms, is what did it; it’s all management and a little bit of luck from Mother Nature,” Dahlman said.

Amy Roady, Illinois Soybean Association communications director, said she thinks Illinois having the No. 1 soy bean production speaks very well of soybean farmers and their ability to grow a good crop.

“The weather also helped us more than the other states; we had better weather conditions than our main competing state, Iowa,” Roady said.