The Northarvest Bean Growers Association shone a light on dry edible beans with its first-ever Battle of the Beans Cookoff in Glyndon. For Northarvest Executive Director Mitch Coulter, it was all about building demand. “We’re trying to grow our export markets, we’re struggling a little bit around tariffs right now, trying to overcome that, but the domestic market is home for us, and we really want to try to expand that,” said Coulter. “Through policy, that’s probably our best way.” Pulses, including dry beans, are now listed in the vegetable and protein categories for the federal dietary guidelines, expanding opportunity for the crop.
