Palouse Peas

At 1 mph, the combine header moves gently through the standup yellow pea crop on the Palouse. The yellow pea is one of many dry bean varieties grown in North Idaho and is used in soup products and snack foods in domestic and overseas markets. Here at Damon Farms near Tensed, Idaho, it's the second year of growing the bean. Compared to last year, the yield is outstanding. “It's good. It's a lot better than last year. Last year we harvested 200 pounds to the acre and that was a real hot dry year when it was trying to bloom and it was hot, nothing was right. This year, we harvested one field that made 3300 pounds. So it's a lot better than it was last year.” Farmer Timothy says the family uses peas and beans as a good rotation crop between wheat. "We are using this as a rotational crop for our wait to try to diversify our farm a little bit. We are growing peas here and then just across the way here, we have a few garbanzo beans. Chick peas.” At the age of 24, the third generation farmer plans to carry on the family farm tradition. With the average age of the American farmer now at 58.3 years, that's good news for American agriculture. "I've never really thought of doing anything else. It's something my dad and uncle did, my grandpa did and I hope I can keep this farm going. My grandpa started the farm back near Tensed and my uncle and dad have grown it to just shy of 6000 acres and it is my goal and hope that I can keep this operation going. Timothy will be spending the next month on the combine either in the pea harvest or the wheat harvest. "I like being out here and driving equipment.” That's where a lot of us would like to be.