Houston's Johnson Space Center. (Grapevine).

"Scientists getting ready to blast astronauts off on a three-year trip to Mars say the spacecraft will likely carry a crop familiar to Illinois farmers. Oil and protein-rich soybeans have emerged as a top contender on a list of grains and legumes that could successfully be cultivated as components of astronauts' diets...Stephen French, a senior food scientist based at Houston's Johnson Space Center who works for the Space Program to Planet Mars, says crops make the short list by qualifying as candidates to produce foods that minimize water use, energy use, waste production and crew time and maximize nutrition and taste...French said soy is one of eight baseline crops being considered for food production in space. The others include wheat, rice, peanuts, white potatoes, sweet potatoes and two types of edible beans..."

Newsalert.com, 3/6/03