Hello and welcome to the December 2024 NBGA e-newsletter!

We hope that everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and is enjoying a good holiday season. It is hard to believe, but the next time we write to you will be in 2025. Thank you for supporting the dry bean industry in our Northarvest region in 2024, and we appreciate your continued support into the future. To celebrate a busy and successful 2024, we created a 2024 NBGA highlight collage, as you will see in this newsletter.

Happy holidays and all the best in the upcoming new year!

Northarvest spotlight on North Dakota Today. Thank you, Tony Richards!

December 2024 Newsletter Table of Contents:

• 2024 NBGA Highlights
• Bean Poll
• NBGA ACTION ITEM: Ballot return for Director Nominations
• NBGA ACTION ITEM: Call for Resolutions
• NBGA Talks Bean Day
• Thank You, Bean Day 2025 Sponsors
• USDA Weekly Dry Bean Market Review + Crop Insurance Update
• NDSU Getting It Right Production Conferences
• Seed to Stovetop Series
• Bean Institute: Beans for the Holidays
• Bean Nutrition Corner: A Year in Review
• Northarvest in the News and on the Move
• US Dry Bean Council Updates
• The Dry Bean Scene

2024 NBGA Highlights

2024 was a busy year for Northarvest, and we could not have accomplished all we did without our incredible network of growers and supporters. Thank you to each and every one of you.

Below is a collage of some of the many highlights from this year. We look forward to seeing what 2025 has in store!

In the collage, there is one photo from each of the monthly 2024 NBGA e-newsletters. It was difficult to choose photos because there were so many memorable moments and accomplishments this year!

• January 2024 - Wishing everyone a happy 2024
• February 2024 - A photo of Board Members who gathered at Bean Day 2024
• March 2024 - Celebrating a successful outreach event, Living Ag Classroom
• April 2024 - Announcing the release of our second recipe video, White Bean Blondies, as part of our partnership with Chef Lauren Zobac
• May 2024 - The Midwest Dry Bean Coalition's recent trip to Washington D.C.
• June 2024 - Announcing the partnership with Amber Estenson (aka That Midwestern Mom) to film Jed Brazier's vision, the Seed to Stovetop series that documents a bean's journey to consumer plates
• July 2024 - NBGA proudly sponsors events, like the Kids Healthy Cooking Competition annually hosted by Family Wellness, which just announced its winner
• August 2024 - Sharing about the NBGA summer meeting, where Board Members and NBGA staff gathered
• September 2024 - The beauty of harvest time is showcased in this sunset photo contributed by NBGA President Eric Jorgensen
• October 2024 - Reflecting on a successful Worldwide Reverse Trade Mission
• November 2024 - NBGA's Seed to Stovetop series launches on YouTube
• December 2024 - Jed Brazier and Chef Lauren Zobac share about NBGA and the incredible versatility of beans on North Dakota Today

Bean Poll

Thank you to everyone who participated in our last poll - it was the most responses we have received to a newsletter poll question to date, with well over 600 sharing their answer! The highest percentage of our respondents indicated that they harvested the most pinto beans, followed by black beans. See below for a full breakdown of the percentages.

For our December 2024 poll, please click below to indicate your answer. As always, we will reveal the response breakdown in next month's newsletter.

December 2024 poll: Will we be seeing you at Bean Day 2025?

NBGA Talks Bean Day

Reminder: Please share your Bean Day memories!!

Bean Day is only about 1 month away!! Bean Day 2025 will be our 50th Bean Day, and NBGA is working hard to make this one extra special to celebrate the occasion. Be sure to mark your calendars for the social on January 16 and the main Bean Day 2025 schedule on January 17, at the Holiday Inn in Fargo.

Please Help Us Commemorate Northarvest & Its Growers

NBGA would like to share your memories and photos of previous Bean Days. For example: Why do you go to Bean Day? What stands out to you from past Bean Days? What has made Bean Day an event to put on your calendar? In the graphic below, you can see a quote from NBGA Secretary & Director, Cordell Huebsch.

Please send all memories and photos to info@northarvestbean.org

NBGA would like to thank the following businesses for joining us as Sponsors and helping us put on what we hope will be the best Bean Day yet!

Plan on joining us in person Friday, January 17th at the Holiday Inn of Fargo - or tune in to the livestream of the event!

Gold Sponsor

Heads Up is a biological seed treatment for growers to get a head start against a variety of fungal and bacterial diseases in row and specialty crops. Used alone or in combination with other fungicide / insecticide seed treatments, Heads Up brings additional, full-season protection to help position your plants to succeed against yield robbing disease pathogens.

“Heads Up Seed Treatment is a great way to SUPERCHARGE your seeds ability to fight seedling diseases and white mold. Available on request, just ask your bean seed supplier!”

NBGA would like to thank Heads Up Plant Protectant for once again supporting NBGA and its mission by sponsoring Bean Day 2025 as a Gold Sponsor.

Visit the Heads Up website to learn more

Lunch Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Morning Sponsors

Below, you can find links to the most recent USDA Weekly Dry Bean Market Reviews. Click on the date to see the report.

• The next USDA Weekly Dry Bean Market report will be released soon. You will be able to find that report here.

• For the Dry Edible Beans Daily Grower Bids, check here.

• December 3, 2024: "Compared to last week: Trade remained light with mostly steady bid prices. According to XE.com December 3, 2024, One USD is equal to 20.33 MXN."

• November 19, 2024: "Compared to last week: Trade remained light with mostly steady bid prices. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics November 14, 2024, the Producer Price Index for final demand increased 0.2 percent in October. Prices for final demand services advanced 0.3 percent, and the index for final demand goods inched up 0.1 percent. Prices for final demand rose 2.4 percent for the 12 months ended in October. According to XE.com November 19, 2024, One USD is equal to 20.09 MXN."

• November 12, 2024: "Compared to last week: Trade remained light with mostly steady bid prices. According to XE.com November 12, 2024, One USD is equal to 20.66 MXN."

NDSU Getting It Right

Production Conferences

Getting It Right is an annual crop production conference featuring the latest research-based production information presented by NDSU specialists. This season's webinars are now open for registration.

➡️ Find recordings from previous years and all registration links here.

The Getting It Right Dry Bean Production Webinar will be held on Monday, February 10, 2025 from 8:30 am to 12 pm Central time. The current schedule is as follows:

• Joe Ikley - Weed control update
• Michael Wunsch - Improving the management of white mold in dry bean
• Sam Markell - Dry bean diseases update: rust, SCN, and more
• Janet Knodel - What's bugging you in dry edible bean production
• Frayne Olson - Dry bean market update and contract considerations
• Ana Carcedo - NDSU variety trials recap and how to use them

➡️ Find the link to register for the dry bean webinar here.

Seed to Stovetop Series

Episode 2 of the Seed to Stovetop Series is available on NBGA's YouTube channel!

In the video, Amber Estenson (aka That Midwestern Mom) interviews NBGA Director & Past President Eric Samuelson on-site at his farm. Samuelson shares about his farm's history, how farmers get seed, and much more. Estenson is helping us reach a wider audience by promoting the series on her social media accounts.

NBGA would like to thank Ms. Estenson and Mr. Samuelson for their assistance on this Seed to Stovetop project.

Find the video linked here, or click on the image below.

Seed to Stovetop Episode 3 goes LIVE Thursday, December 13th @ 7 pm Featuring Dr. Juan Osorno on the NBGA YouTube page!

Speaking of Dr. Osorno...

Seed to Stovetop Episode 3 goes LIVE Thursday, December 13th @ 7 pm Featuring Dr. Juan Osorno on the NBGA YouTube page!

Speaking of Dr. Osorno...

Two new NDSU research videos are available now!

North Dakota State University Dry Bean Breeder Dr. Juan Osorno talks about the dry bean overwinter site in Puerto Rico and the critical role joint research plays in the field of science. 

Post Doctorate Researcher Nusrat Khan shares what she is working on in the field of dry bean research. (And thank you for the kind words about NBGA, Nusrat - we think the work you do is pretty important as well!)

Holiday baking plays a big role in the festivities this time of year. Here are two ideas of how to include beans in your holiday baking trays!

Image from the Bean Institute

More from the Bean Institute

Did you see the Bean Institute's November 2024 newsletter? The featured topic was how beans can help support bone health, thanks to the nutrients they contain.

The article titled Boost Bone Health with Beans discusses the importance of the calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and other nutrients in beans, explaining why these are important to ensure healthy bones. It also shares several tips of how to best support bone health.



You can see a snippet below, or click here to read the full post.

This month, we are providing a recap of the nutrition topics we have covered this year. It has been an exciting year for beans, with ample media attention and also several important new studies released, including research funded by the Coalition for the Advancement of Pulses (CAP), which NBGA supports.

Beans Can Help Lower Cholesterol (January 2024)

Research suggests that eating beans can help decrease both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (i.e., bad cholesterol). One reason beans may help reduce cholesterol is due to their high dietary fiber content, which can reduce the body's absorption of cholesterol. In turn, lower cholesterol levels support heart health.

Food as Medicine: How Beans Make Us Healthier (February 2024)

At BeanCon24, several experts shared about how beans are hugely beneficial for health. Nick Buettner of Blue Zones was one speaker. Blue zones are areas in the world with the longest lived, healthiest populations, and beans are one of the main dietary staples. Buettner said that they recommend having 1 cup of cooked beans per day. Dr. Raymond Glahn spoke about bean varieties with high iron bioavailability, such as Manteca yellow beans and slow-darkening pinto beans. Dr. Henry Thompson shared about a variety of topics, including the important role beans can play in promoting gut health.

Beans for National Nutrition Month (March 2024)

March is National Nutrition Month, meaning it was the ideal time to share results from one of the studies funded by CAP. This research demonstrated that replacing refined grains with beans and other pulses increases intake of dietary fiber and several key minerals, like potassium. Furthermore, swapping out other protein foods for beans and other pulses helps increase dietary fiber while also decreasing cholesterol intake.

Graphic from the Coalition for the Advancement of Pulses

Beans and Cancer Prevention (April 2024)

The cancer prevention recommendations from the World Cancer Research Fund are based on a robust review of the scientific evidence. One of the top recommendations is to eat a better diet, with a specific suggestion to eat more beans: "Make wholegrains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes and pulses (including beans, lentils and peas) a major part of your usual daily diet." The recommendations also emphasize dietary fiber, and beans are one of the best natural sources of fiber.

Beans Improve Nutrient Intake and Diet Quality (May 2024)

Another CAP-funded study was released. The results demonstrated that higher levels of bean and other pulse intake can help improve the intake of key "shortfall nutrients" that many Americans are currently under-consuming, such as potassium and folate. This is important, because low intake of these nutrients is associated with health concerns. In addition, the study found that dietary patterns that included beans and other pulses were associated with overall higher diet quality relative to dietary patterns that lacked beans.

Positive Health Outcomes of Bean Intake (June 2024)

A review article funded by CAP was published. The research found that bean/pulse intake was associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes in several of the peer-reviewed studies included in the review. Beans/pulses were also determined to have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels. "The studies reviewed here, with diverse designs and populations spanning several countries, consistently illustrated pulses as beneficial for health, aligning with dietary guidelines that advocate for plant-based diets," the researchers assert.

Beans Improve Diet Quality (July 2024)

A main takeaway from another CAP-funded study was that beans can improve diet quality. The researchers modeled the addition of beans/pulses to the typical American diet and found that this resulted in consistent increases in overall diet quality. As measured by the Healthy Eating Index, total diet quality was 15 - 16% higher with one additional daily serving of beans, and 19 - 20% higher with 2 servings of beans, compared to the typical American dietary pattern. In alignment with findings from previous studies, the addition of beans also helped increase the intake of several nutrients that are typically under-consumed in America, such as potassium, magnesium, and fiber.

Graphic from the Coalition for the Advancement of Pulses



Beans for Children: Encouraging Lifelong Healthy Food Choices (August 2024)

For back-to-school season, we addressed the importance of fostering healthy eating habits that include beans from infancy and childhood, because research suggests that food preferences are formed at a young age. A few ways to help introduce beans can be having adults model healthy eating behavior, repeated exposure to a food, and involving children in food preparation.

Slow-Darkening Pinto Beans (September 2024)

Researchers like Dr. Juan Osorno are working on slow-darkening pintos (SDPs). In addition to more delayed darkening, there are other potential benefits of SDPs. For example, SDPs have been found to cook faster and have significantly higher iron bioavailability than their regular-darkening counterparts.

Do You Need to Soak Beans Before Cooking? (October 2024)

A recent National Geographic article discussed whether dry beans really need to be soaked before cooking. Soaking has consistently been found to reduce cooking time, and it can help bring out the best texture in beans. Soaking may also help make beans easier to digest and result in potential nutritional benefits, such as reducing the level of compounds in beans that may interfere with the absorption of some of the nutrients in the beans. However, at the end of the day, it is okay to choose not to soak. The article concluded that the ultimate goal is to eat more beans, and preparation concerns should not stand in the way.

Benefits of Farm to School (November 2024)

To recognize Farm to School Month, we shared about the benefits of Farm to School programs. For instance, these programs have been found to improve food, agriculture, and nutrition-related knowledge. They can also increase willingness to try fruits and vegetables, and actual healthy food selection during school meals. Moreover, Farm to School programs provide opportunities for local farming businesses and communities. Beans can be an excellent choice for Farm to School programs.

Explore great bean recipe ideas on the Bean Institute website

Moral of the story? Beans are an ideal food to include in our regular dietary patterns, thanks to a wide array of benefits they can provide.

Chef Lauren Zobac recently filmed a new batch of recipes, soon to be served up hot & fresh - keep an eye on this newsletter and the NBGA social channels!

Bean Conference in Cancun

The US Beans, Peas, Lentils, Chickpeas Mx-Latam Conference website is now live and registration is open! The conference is in Cancun, Mexico from January 23 - 25, 2025 at the Hotel Kempinski Cancun. This conference is an educational and networking event centered on bean/pulse production and trade trends from the United States and beyond.

➡️ Explore the conference website here.

The Dry Bean Scene is sponsored, in part, by NBGA. Click on the links below to listen to the most recent episodes.

• ➡️ November 29, 2024: Dean Nelson of Kelley Bean Company reviews the 2024 growing season and looks ahead to what next year may have in store.

• ➡️ November 15, 2024: Green Valley Bean Company President John Berthold offers a breakdown of dry bean acres in Minnesota and North Dakota for 2024. He also discusses crop quality.

• ➡️ November 9, 2024: NDSU Extension dry bean breeder Juan Osorno recently received a fellowship. He shares about what this honor means.