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Michigan Bean Commission approved through 2029
Michigan dry bean growers have voted to continue the Michigan Bean Commission and assessments for another five years.
Executive Director Joe Cramer tells Brownfield the commission is committed to, “Number one, a continuation of enhancing profitability for driving growers.”
“How do we get more dollars out of an acre? We’ve got some unique weed pressures that we need to figure out how to deal with and we’ve got maybe some opportunities to do even a better job with white mold control,” he says.
Cramer says the current harvest is at least 85 percent finished and he expects production to be less than what USDA has projected.
“I’ve heard yields from 9.5 bags per acre to 43 bags per acre, pretty wide window,” he shares. “The USDA told us that we could expect a 25-bag state average.”
He says water damage earlier in the season and dry conditions at harvest have caused some challenges.
“When you get moisture is below 13 percent, it’s kind of like handling glass and nobody wants a split bean or a checked up bean, a bean that’s been nicked or bumped,” he explains.
Farmers pay 10 cents per hundredweight at their point of sale into the commission to support research, market development, and the promotion of dry beans.
AUDIO: Joe Cramer, Michigan Bean Commission
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