The #FarmToCar mission is simple: replace petroleum-based plastics with plant-based materials.https://t.co/ETS8NqtqxL

— Ford Drive Green (@FordDriveGreen) May 10, 2016

Are you friends with a soybean farmer in the North Platte area? Their beans could end up in your next Ford vehicle!

Since 2007, Ford has been manufacturing new vehicles in North America with soy-based foam from beans grown in the U.S. Soy is a more stable source of raw materials than petroleum oil, and it cuts down on carbon emissions, too.

Ford has been working to add to the number of regionally-grown agricultural products it uses to build new cars. The Ford F-150, for instance, uses plastic reinforced with rice hulls -- a byproduct of rice processing -- grown on American farms. The automaker has also been in cahoots with Heinz (the ketchup company) to use discarded tomato stems, seeds, and skins to make bioplastic.

Check out Ford's Sustainability Report to learn more about renewable materials and other eco-friendly projects, and stop by Bill Summers Ford LLC to test drive farm-fresh cars, trucks, and SUVs in the Cozad, Sutherland, Valentine, and Gothenburg area.