Bean Report

 Purcell Mountain Farm is a family-operated farm located at the foothills of the Purcell Mountain Range in the Northeastern-most part of Idaho in Moyie Springs. Their soil is typically more than 60 inches deep with a surface layer of silt loam acquired from years of river deposits. The folks at Purcell Mountain Farm say their climate is moderate with an annual rainfall of 20 to 28 inches. They grow vegetables and beans in fertile soil, supported by indigenous soil microbes and enzymes, natural fertilizers, all the 57 trace minerals in balance, cover crops and crop rotation.

Let’s cut to the Idaho Bean Commission who say this could be one of the best harvests of the decade, despite a cold, wet spring. This past week growers reported excellent yields and quality throughout the Magic Valley.?     Farmers planted more than 100,000 acres of dry beans this year, an increase of 20,000 acres from 2008. Production is forecast to be 1.78 million hundredweight, an increase of 22 percent from last year.

 The bean crop has also been great for Purcell Mountain Farm according to owner Steve Dahlman’s wife Sabina: “It was a very good crop this year. We had cooler weather with rain in between and then the hot sun and it was a good mix with the weather this year.”

 And finishing off our highly localized bean report, Treasure Valley producers have an excellent harvest in both quality and yield, better yet the market outlook is good because of a reduced crop in the Midwest.