Edamame Bean Production and Marketing

Despite occasional price spikes, commodities produced in western Colorado are typically high in volume and low in price. The situation presents producers with the options of selling for development, seeking alternative employment or trying alternative crops and marketing. Phil Knob of Delta, Colorado, plans to pursue the last option with his Western SARE marketing grant by determining the production and market potential for edamame beans, typically sold through Asian food markets. The Colorado State University research station at Fruita has conducted four years of trials on the bean, information Knob plans to apply when he plants 6 acres of beans, 2 acres each week, to extend his harvest and marketing window. He will assess the economics of production and marketing success to project future production.