Candles just one of numerous products made using soybeans

NEW ULM (AP) -- How about candles that smell like baby powder, a country clothesline, cucumbers, fresh-cut grass, peaches, jasmine, lilacs, pink lemonade, pears, mangos or raspberries?

Not only that, but they are 99.5 percent soybean. The candles and other soy-based products were recently on display at the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association booth at the 19th Annual Farm/City Ag Show.

Produced by Jill Anderson in her basement in Redwood Falls, Country Candle Co., LLC got its start 18 months ago when she began refilling empty containers with sootless soybean wax.

Anderson began making the candles for herself. Her friends liked them so much, things turned into a business that will soon expand out of the basement of Anderson's home.

The candles could also do wonders for the price of soybeans since there are 550 million pounds of paraffin produced each year. If soybeans composed just 10 percent of that market, an additional 5 million bushels of soybeans would be needed each year.

''We were disappointed with the other soybean wax options on the market, knew we could do better, and we did,'' Anderson said.

The candles could also do wonders for the price of soybeans since there are 550 million pounds of paraffin produced each year. If soybeans composed just 10 percent of that market, an additional 5 million bushels of soybeans would be needed each year.

There are 70 soybean candle scents available, including 10 holiday aromas. Two types of lotions are also available -- a light, non-greasy daily-use type and a thick, rich intensive care therapy variety.

Other Country Candle Co. products include soybean lotion bars and lip balm.

Tami Nielsen of Courtland is one of four representatives for Country Candle. She said she began selling the products a month ago to retailers and wholesale buyers.

Verne Radloff of Essig, the Brown County director of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, said other soybean lotions are also available.

In addition, other soybean products include rubber-like carpet backing, bio-diesel fuel and motor oil. Radloff said the bio-diesel fuel is less polluting than conventional diesel fuel and smells better. Follow something that burns bio-diesel fuel and it smells like fresh peanuts, Radloff said.