Harold Stanislawski is such a big fan of Goodyear’s new Assurance WeatherReady tires, he decided to buy a set for each of his Buicks.

“When I found out these were made from soy oil, I had to have them,” he said during a visit to Goodyear’s store in Fergus Falls. “I hope to have them on my Harley one day. The formulation of the soybean is magical, and you have to support agriculture.”

In just one week, Stanislawksi has already put 1,500 miles on his new tires, which feature a soy-based rubber compound. He’s a happy customer.

“I like the traction a lot,” says Stanislawski, who is product development director for the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI). “From an all-season driving perspective, this is the tire to have, and Goodyear is the perfect company to partner with. They’re such a well-known name.”

The Assurance WeatherReady tires are available at most Goodyear retailers, and have a 60,000 mile warranty and up to a $200 rebate. Mike Brussian, tire manager at Goodyear Tires in Fergus Falls, says the store has already sold six sets of the tires.

The Assurance WeatherReady tires were developed over a six-year period with research support from the United Soybean Board, bringing forward another market opportunity for soybean farmers.

“Goodyear has really produced a tire that improves performance and tread in any conditions,” says Mike Youngerberg, Minnesota Soybean’s senior director of product development and commercialization. “And as soybean farmers, we need to encourage new uses to introduce to the market. It’s good for business, and this is quite literally where the rubber meets the row.”

Click here to view a story on the Assurance WeatherReady tires from WDAY News in Fargo, N.D.