Organic Dry Bean Discussion

February 9, 2015


The demand for organic dry beans in the Northeast exceeds the supply. Beans are being shipped from the Midwest to help meet the need. While there are a handful of growers already producing organic dry beans in NY it is a very small percentage of the total dry bean production in the state. Michigan produces about 9,000 acres of organic dry beans. The interest in this topic is broad based, and includes NY growers, shippers, a processor, brokers, and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY.

The Cornell Vegetable Program is organizing a discussion on the potential opportunities and challenges of increased organic dry bean production in New York State. The goals of this discussion are to:
•  Explore the demand for increased organic dry bean production;
•  Discuss how organic dry bean production is different from conventional production, and how dry bean production is different from soybean production;
•  Learn the details of organic certification of farms, and of handling/cleaning facilities; and
•  Brainstorm how to match potential organic dry bean production with the capacity of organic cleaning/shipping facilities.

All interested dry bean and field crop growers and shippers are welcome to attend. There is no charge but preregistration is requested - preregister online or contact Carol MacNeil.