Edamame Bean Production and Marketing

Project Overview

FW03-109
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2003: $5,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2005
Region: Western
State: Colorado
Principal Investigator:
Phil Knob

Commodities

  • Vegetables: beans

Practices

  • Farm Business Management: whole farm planning, budgets/cost and returns, feasibility study
  • Pest Management: field monitoring/scouting, prevention
  • Production Systems: general crop production

    Proposal summary:

    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.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.