Beanstock

A new education series celebrating Nebraska’s locally grown proteins

As a part of the Nebraska Department of Education’s Farm to School program, Beanstock celebrates beans and educates students about plant-based proteins and specialty crops with engaging, informative and inspiring lessons and activities for middle and high school students.

What is Beanstock?

Among all the things to love about beans — they’re delicious, affordable and packed with protein — they’re also really important to our state’s economy. Nebraska is one of the top producers of beans in the entire country.

Educators and out-of-school-time staff across the state can access free, flexible online lessons and activities about local plant-based proteins, especially beans, and specialty crops with presentations, quizzes and activities that tap into their interesting history, flavors and impact. Beyond the classroom, students will have opportunities to enjoy beans at lunch through school-focused recipes and to compete in a state-wide recipe competition coming in the fall of 2026.

Free Plant-based Protein Lessons

Wayne State education students have written various plant-based protein lessons, facilitated by their instructor, Carol Erwin, for educators across the state to freely use for grades 6-12. Each lesson fulfills Nebraska Department of Education curriculum standards.

Unit 1: From Planting to Plating: Nebraska’s Bean Agriculture Story
- Written by Avery Olnes
Unit 2: Disguising Beans with Baking: Cooking with Plant Proteins
- Written by Alyssa Penn
Unit 3: Cultivating Nebraska: Unveiling the Power of Dry Beans
- Written by Blair Korth
Unit 4: Introduction to Nebraska Beans and Their Varieties
- Written by Skylar Long
Unit 5: From Farm to Fork: Exploring Nebraska’s Dry Bean Legacy
- Written by Britney Kreikemeier
Unit 6: From Beans to Protein: A Mathematical Journey
- Written by Payje Rayback
Unit 7: Canned vs Dried
- Written by Katie Meister
Unit 8: Nebraska Bean Profile
- Written by Erin Reynoldson
Unit 9: Introducing and Cooking with Soybeans
- Written by Kaydee Diefenbaugh

Beanstock Recipes

Enjoy a wide variety of recipes featuring Nebraska-grown plant-based proteins. For your convenience, the collection is divided into three categories. Simply click on a category to open the drop down menu and see all the recipes. Each recipe includes a home-size version suited for small groups using standard kitchen equipment, as well as a National School Lunch Program (NSLP) version.

NSLP versions, designed for commercial kitchens with larger, specialized equipment, are being released on a rolling basis. New versions will be added as they become available and will include ingredient lists and instructions for 50 and 100 servings.