Forty U.S. states produce dried beans.
Forty of 50 U.S. states produce dried beans, with 18 of those states maintaining large-scale production. North Dakota leads the pack, producing one-third of all dried beans grown in the U.S. The other top producers are also in the same geographical region: Michigan, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa. As of 2008, only about 16,000 U.S. acres were devoted to organic dry bean farming out of 1.7 million acres in total devoted to dry beans, which is less than one percent of dry beans farmed in the U.S.
Organic Dry Bean Farming
Interest in organic growing blossomed in the early 21st century.
Organic farming is one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. farming industry. As of 1995, only a statistically insignificant amount of farm land was used for organic dry bean farming, but 13 years later, more than 16,000 acres are given to it. Demand for organics is increasing generally. Combine that with the fact that the amount of U.S. land given to agriculture is decreasing, and overall organics make up a larger portion of agricultural production now than 10 years ago. The same is true for organic dry beans with more farms turning to organic dry bean farming. Michigan dedicates more land to organic dry bean farming than any other state, approximately 4,500 acres. Coming in second with about 3,200 acres is Indiana, and third is Michigan with 2,300 acres. As of 2008, 19 states had farms certified to grow organic dry beans.
Good Results
Michigan farms are the leading producers of organic dry beans.
The increased interest in organic farming and the ensuing increase in organic crops have yielded some excellent results in terms of product quality for dry beans. Currently grown organically in the U.S. are pinto beans, light and dark red kidney, Navy, Great Northern, black, small white, large and baby lima, pink, small red, blackeye, garbanzo and small chickpeas. A few growers of heirloom varieties also produce adzuki, cranberry and anasazi beans. An additional positive result is that legumes tend to manage their own nitrogen needs, so they naturally enrich nitrogen-depleted soil, making them a good crop to rotate in with other crops needing nitrogen, such as corn and wheat. Legume plants enrich the soil because bacteria binds nitrogen to their roots which farmers can turn back into the soil after harvest.
Best Organic Dry Beans
Ranked #1 Food Company in the World in 2008 by "The Better World Shopping Guide," Eden Foods has won numerous awards for its natural and organic products, including awards for taste, packaging, safe and sustainable practices and best foods. Recently, it introduced dry beans packed in a box rather than bag. Organic dry beans currently packaged this way by Eden are Navy, black, garbanzo, kidney, pinto and green lentils. Each box identifies the state in which the beans were grown and for what they can be used. Situated in the state with the largest production, Eden Foods has helped to make Michigan the leading producer of organic dried beans.
More Bests
Other best U.S. dried beans are those that carry the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) certification seal. Both TruRoots and Whole Foods 365 are certified by the USDA, and Whole Foods 365 carries a variety of dried beans in its grocery section. TruRoots specializes in sprouted products, including lentils and mung beans, which are then solar dried in a slow drying process. Sprouted beans are easier to digest as some of the digestive enzymes are already present in sprouted beans. Also included in this group is Nuts Are Good, which markets, among other things, a variety of dried beans that not only carry USDA certification, but also the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) certification which focuses on moving "food from farm to local fork."
Small Family Farm Best
Many small family farms aren't willing to go through the process of USDA, OEFFA or Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) certification as an organic provider. This makes it difficult to determine whether the products are truly organic and what their quality is. But, some small family farms do get certified, such as Burr Farms in London, Ohio, which is OCIA certified and dedicated to balancing conservation and small grain production, making it a best choice.
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