Farm406

Farm406 Vol 3 Iss 2

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farm406 24 Field peas in flower growing in Montana. Montana farmers have incorporated pulses into crop rotations to reduce the amount of land le fallow, to improve soil, and to add another cash crop when others might not be successful in a growing season. Pulses are a versatile group of 12 leguminous crops, including dry beans, dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas (garbanzo beans), which produce an edible seed. In 2009 Montana farmers harvested 350,000 acres of pulse crops. In 2017 that number had increased to 1,535,905 acres. at latest statistic placed Montana first in the number of pulse acres harvested in the United States. State-wide farmers have shown that with Montana's growing season, soil, and average annual precipitation they can successfully grow pulses. P U L S E G R O W E R S e farmer usually sells the harvested pulse crop to one of the thirty-two statewide receiving facilities—called consolidators—that buy, clean, and grade pulse seed. Some dehull and split, color sort, and custom package C O N S O L I D AT O R S A N D B R O K E R S pulses. Pardue Grain is an example of a more sophisticated consolidator. Roger and Lisa Sammons, owners of Pardue Grain in Cut Bank, oversee a new stainless-steel fully automated plant operated by 14 employees seven days a week, twelve hours a day to sort, size, clean and bag pulses in either 50 or 100 lb. bags or 200-lb totes. ey contract to sell their product to companies, such as Columbia Grain. Like Columbia Grain, most consolidating facilities ship pulse seed outside of the state to a company that completes the next step of processing. Like consolidators, Montana brokers have been sending pulse commodities on their way to domestic but most oen to international markets. "ere have been instances where pulse commodities are sent to 'ingredient suppliers' in China for the next step in processing and then sent back to this country's food manufacturers to be added into the final product," said Jolene Schalper, Vice President at the Great Falls Development Authority. "Without processing plants for its locally-raised pulse commodities, North Central Montana is losing out on jobs and a bigger tax base," said Barne Sporkin-Morrison, Food and Ag Development Center Director at Great Falls Development Authority. Photo courtesy of the Montana Department of Agriculture.

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