Now you can even heat your home with soy. A new soy heating oil has been developed from a mixture of soybean oil and conventional fuel oil.

A team of Purdue University researchers helped develop the process and used the heating oil on a trial basis in two Indiana homes last year. The oil blend can be used in conventional furnaces without altering existing equipment, says Harry Gibson, Purdue ag engineer and one of the developers.

Homeowners would need to make big changes in their furnaces in order to run 100% soybean oil, but a 20% blend will run with existing equipment. A technician, however, will need to make adjustments to furnace settings.