Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] marketing dry beans

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Richard Stewart <rstewart AT zoomtown.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] marketing dry beans
  • Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:56:44 -0500

I am in Ohio outside of Cincinnati.  We sell black beans.  This is our second season doing so.  They are a slow mover in our single market partly because of the high price.  We wold have a LOT of takers for the beans if we came down in price, but if I did that I would loose money.  Right now I do not mind selling them slowly.

Our total harvest was right around 1000# in 2010.  We sold half last year and started selling them again this winter to fill in the gap between January and March.   We've put aside about 250# for our farm dinners this year and have sold about half of the remaining beans.  I have chefs that want hundreds of pounds but not at 2.50 to 4.50 a pound and at least one baker that wants to make a high protein "Russian" black bread using them.  Customers also want to buy in bulk and get discount.

We plan to sell some as seed this spring as a local seed demand continues to grow.

These beans were harvested by hand in bulk then run through a harvester and a seed cleaner.  I'd love to produce them cheaper and charge less but I need good cultivated ground for that...not river bottoms with weed issues.

But to answer your question after rambling on...yes, there is a good demand for such things, especially as the Vegan/Vegetarian movement increases its numbers they need alternative sources of protein.

As to food safety they are an unprocessed dry food.  Ohio has zero laws I have found to date dealing with this or the sale of wheat berries or dried corn. 

From a economic standpoint you need to be able to grow alot of beans AND efficiently harvest and clean (debris, not wash) them to make money off them.  Reselling them as seed if you are growing small amounts is the best way to make money off them, especially if used as a rotation nitrogen crop in the garden.

Hope that helps.

Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855

(513) 967-1106



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page