Alice in Dairyland

January 26, 1997 – I remember it like it was yesterday. The Green Bay Packers were about to go headto head with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.

I remember it so clearly because I am a huge football fan, and the Packers have always been my team. My dad was very excited, too, being another lifelong Packer fan.

To mark the occasion of the Packers returning to the Super Bowl, my dad whipped up a pot of “Super Bowl Chili.” I didn’t know it at the time, but those dark red kidney beans in the chili were from right here in Wisconsin.

In 2008, Wisconsin grew about 6,500 football fields (acres) of dark red kidney beans. This fall, I spent a day learning about this super bean. One thing I learned is that Wisconsin ranks second in the nation in its production.

In September, I visited Chippewa Valley Bean (CVB) Company near Menomonie that has been a familyowned business for seven generations. Throughout the years, the company has continued to be a leader in its techniques for developing a better bean and in the technology uses in processing.

Kidney beans are susceptible to diseases like root rot, common blight, and white mold. Through their research of the bean, CVB has been able to breed a bean that is more naturally resistant to these diseases without genetically engineering the beans. A bean that can stand up to diseases, means that more beans will be yielded per acre. Processing all those beans requires the right equipment.

Kidney beans are most valuable when they have a clean look to their dark red exterior. Years ago, harvesters handled the bean too roughly, breaking the shell, and therefore decreasing its value. CVB looked to improve this process and actually modified an existing harvester to be gentler with the beans while still harvesting them quickly. This is an excellent example of how the business of agriculture, like any other business, needs to be innovative and to modernize in order to remain profitable and competitive. And CVB continues to modernize its equipment. I took a ride on a wind-rowing tractor during the harvesting process. Wind-rowing takes multiple rows of cut beans and brings them together in one bigger row. What was really amazing about this tractor is that it was run by GPS. The tractor’s operator didn’t have to touch the steering wheel while traveling down the rows. The GPS was activated to control the tractor on the same row that the beans were planted. This is especially important in wind-rowing because the operators must keep their focus on the equipment that is combining the rows to make sure the beans are coming out properly. With the GPS as a guide, the tractor can actually go faster and be more accurate because the operator’s attention isn’t divided.

After the beans are harvested from the field, they are taken back to the processing facility where they are sorted numerous times to make sure only the best, most consistent beans get through. One piece of sorting machinery is an electronic scanner that sorts the beans by the slightest changes in color. This electronic eye scans about 45,000 beans every minute!

After the sorting, beans most are loaded into 2,500 pound super-totes to be taken to a near factory for canning – the Bush Brothers and Company factory in Augusta. You probably know this company best for its Bush’s Baked Beans; well, the plant in Augusta is the known as “Birthplace of the Baked Bean.”

But Bush Brothers and Company also helps support our local farmers by getting their dark red kidney beans from Wisconsin growers. Getting dark red kidney beans in cans is a great example of how you can still get a local product all year long! Beans are harvested at their peak, and the canning helps keep them fresh, delicious, and nutritious for use at your convenience.

Kidney beans are a great source of fiber, protein, iron, and potassium – just to name a few of its many wonderful nutrients. In fact, dry edible beans, like kidney beans, are so beneficial to your diet, they are the only food to be listed twice in the food guide pyramid. Beans are listed in both the vegetable and protein categories. Beans can be used in a number of recipes – in everything from breakfast to dinner, appetizers to desserts! Check out www.beansforhealth.com for the tasty recipes. And don’t forget to get some dark red kidney beans for your “super bowl chili” or any kind of chili this year.

Alice in Dairyland is Wisconsin’s agricultural ambassador. She travels over 40,000 miles each year to spread the word about our agricultural industry. Alice in Dairyland can be reached by writing to DATCP, 2811 Agriculture Drive, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI 53718.

You can schedule Alice for an upcoming event by contacting the Alice in Dairyland Program at (608) 224-5080 or by e-mail at DATCPAlice@wisconsin.gov.