Building a Pulse Processing Business

Kevin Haas is a 3rd generation farmer based on his family farm near Jamestown, North Dakota. He’s been planting pulses since the early 1990’s, and currently grows peas, lentils, edible beans, corn, soybeans, wheat, barley and oats. Haas has been a strong advocate for the pulse industry for many years, having served in leadership roles for the Northern Pulse Growers Association, the North Dakota Dry Pea and Lentil Council, and USA Pulses. In 2004, he broke ground to start the construction of a processing plant specifically for pulse crops in Jamestown, ND. In this episode, Haas shares his experiences both growing pulse crops as a farmer and handling them as a processor and marketer with Legume Matrix. “ I think we need to recognize that the consumer is a very important part of the equation. If the consumer is saying, "Hey, I want this, I'm willing to buy this," we need to pay attention to what they're telling us. And I think we need to educate ourselves in the standpoint of whoever your processor is, your elevator, or whoever you're working with, talk to them. See what markets you are finding success going into and then try to adapt what they're able to be successful at to fit your program in a sense, if it can. You know, I mean that middle ground where you can maintain those things that are really important and still at the end of the day, be able to supply that market with an acceptable product, but still on your own farm, being able to pay your bills and being profitable.” - Kevin HaasThis Week on Growing Pulse Crops:Meet Kevin Haas, a processor and marketer with Legume Matrix and 3rd generation farmer in North DakotaDiscover the journey taken in creating Legume Matrix processing and the scope of product they manageUnderstand the pulse industry impact from policy changes within government programsExplore what Haas sees for the future of the pulse crop industry for producersGrowing Pulse Crops is produced by Dr. Audrey Kalil and hosted by Tim Hammerich of the Future of Agriculture Podcast.