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According to the 2002 Census of Agriculture, 8,947 U.S. farms produced dry edible beans (including dry lima beans) on 1.74 million acres, 36 percent of which was under irrigation, with a fourth of all irrigated land in Nebraska. North Dakota produced the most dry beans, 33 percent of the national output in 2002-04. Michigan (15 percent), Nebraska (13 percent), Minnesota (8 percent), and Idaho (7 percent) were among the top five states. The average farm value of the dry bean crop was $451 million in 2001-03, with $1.8 billion in estimated consumer sales.
Dry Bean Classes
 The United States produces many kinds of dry edible beans, but the leading varieties for 2002-04 were:
- Pinto—45 percent
- Navy (pea)—14 percent
- Black—9 percent
- Great Northern—7 percent
Other varieties include light red kidney, dark red kidney, large lima, baby lima, pink, small red, cranberry, blackeye (cowpeas), large chickpeas (garbanzo), and small white. This covers the specific varieties for which USDA publishes production statistics, but there are many other specialized varieties produced in smaller quantities. USDA groups smaller bean crops as "miscellaneous," such as yellow eye, fava (horse or broad beans), mung, adzuki, marrow, appaloosa, Christmas lima, anasazi, and blackgram beans (important in India).
Dry Bean Consumption
Americans use dry edible beans in many ways and sometimes use different varieties in similar ways. All varieties are available dry in consumer or foodservice packages. Canned products include refried beans, soups, chilis, and baked beans. High-starch bean flour from dry beans is used in a variety of baked goods. Restaurant use of dry beans and bean products has also likely increased in importance, especially for establishments serving dishes such as tacos, burritos, and chili.
Some uses of dry beans by variety include:
- Pinto beans—Canned refried beans, three-bean
salads, soups such as minestrone, stews, rice dishes,
and casseroles. More than half of all pintos are sold
dry in bags, while the rest are canned.
- Navy (pea) beans—Canned baked beans and
navy bean soup. Roughly 90 percent of domestic navy
beans are canned.
- Great Northern beans—Sold primarily
dry bagged, with smaller amounts canned. Canning of
Great Northerns is more popular in France, a major U.S.
export market. These beans substitute at times for navy
beans.
- Red kidney beans—Sold both dry and canned,
used to make chili and other Mexican dishes. On average,
consumption of light red kidney beans is greater than
that of dark red kidney beans, which are more often
exported.
- Black beans—A nutritious edible bean,
high in protein and potassium, used for refried beans
or in soups, chili, rice dishes, and casseroles.
Low-cost dry beans provide vitamins, minerals, soluble dietary fiber, and protein. The leading source of vegetable protein, dry edible beans are an excellent food buy in cost per gram of protein. Dry edible beans contain no cholesterol and may lower blood cholesterol levels, according to the American Cancer Society. A serving of dry beans is rich in B-vitamins, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, and is low in sodium and calories.
On any given day, nearly 14 percent of the U.S. population eat dry edible
beans. Dry beans enjoy the greatest popularity in the West and the South.
About three-fourths of all dry beans are purchased at retail stores for
home consumption. For more information, see Factors
Affecting Dry Bean Consumption in the United States.
After peaking during 1941-43 at 9.6 pounds per person, 3-year average dry bean disappearance has largely remained between 6 and 8 pounds per person, but has stayed below 8 pounds since the early 1960s. Over the past 40 years, per capita disappearance of dry beans reached a low of 5.5 pounds during 1978-80 and then trended upward to a peak of 7.7 pounds during 1992-94.
Since 1992-94, average use remained relatively stable until the early 2000s when use began to decline. Estimated annual per capita use of dry beans declined for 5 consecutive years (2000-04), with reduced use experienced across most bean classes. Consumption of white beans (i.e., navy, Great Northern, lima, and small white) has declined each decade since the 1960s and is now less than half of what it was in the 1960s. Until weakening a bit in the 2000s, disappearance of nonwhite beans had increased each decade since the 1960s.
During 2002-04, pinto beans accounted for 47 percent of total disappearance. Navy beans (12 percent), black beans (7 percent), Great Northern beans (6 percent), and light red kidneys (5 percent) round out the top five classes consumed domestically.
Dry beans have not been included in Federal price support programs since the late 1960s. However, USDA regularly buys dry pack and canned beans for school lunch, child nutrition, and other feeding programs.
Major Dry Bean Growing States
New York was the birthplace of the United States commercial, dry edible bean industry in the mid-1800s. New York, now a minor growing State, remained the leading producer until the early 1900s when Michigan took the lead. Michigan's dominance was largely unchallenged until the 1990s. Strong, steady gains in the North Dakota dry bean industry during the 1980s propelled it into the lead for the first time in 1991—a lead the State has maintained with the exception of 1993.
The top dry bean producing states in 2002-04 were:
- North Dakota—33 percent
- Michigan—15 percent
- Nebraska—13 percent
- Minnesota—8 percent
- Idaho—7 percent
- California—6 percent
- Colorado—5 percent
North Dakota's dry bean industry is relatively young (firmly established only in the early 1960s), compared with the mature Michigan industry. North Dakota's bean production was just 0.4 million hundredweight (cwt) in 1970 (2 percent of the U.S. crop), but with steadily increasing acreage and yields, output surged to a record high of 10.6 million cwt in 2002. In contrast, Michigan's crop was just 0.8 million cwt in 2001—the lowest on record in that State (due partly to poor weather).
According to the 2002 Census of Agriculture, 1,999 farms produced dry edible beans in North Dakota on 661,379 acres, with most of these acres in pinto beans (65 percent) and navy beans (23 percent). North Dakota is the leading producer of both pinto beans (53 percent of the U.S. crop) and navy beans (41 percent of the national total). The majority of the crop is produced in the fertile Red River Valley, with Grand Forks, Walsh, and Pembina Counties the top producers. Just 3 percent of the State's dry bean crop is produced under irrigation.
The second-leading producer of dry beans in the nation, Michigan, averaged 15 percent of the U.S. total during 2002-04. Black beans (38 percent of the State's crop) and navy beans (30 percent) dominate the State's dry bean output, but Michigan also produces many other bean classes such as cranberry, kidney, small red, and pinto beans. Michigan is the leading producer of black beans, with 64 percent of U.S. output and is the second-leading producer of navy beans, with 32 percent of the crop. Dry beans are produced on 1,587 Michigan farms (down 29 percent from 1997) with the majority growing less than 100 acres of dry beans. The Saginaw Valley and the Bay Thumb area in central and east central Michigan produce most of the beans. Huron County is the leading producer, accounting for about a third of the State's crop.
Nebraska, third in dry bean production, accounted for 13 percent of the U.S. crop during 2002-04. Grown on about 758 farms (down 35 percent from 1997), 97 percent of the State's dry bean acreage is irrigated. Great Northern beans account for 43 percent of Nebraska's bean crop, with the State accounting for the majority of the U.S. Great Northern crop. Pinto beans make up another 44 percent of Nebraska's dry bean output, with smaller amounts of light red kidney, navy, black, and garbanzo beans. Production is scattered across 26 counties, with several northwestern counties in the North Platte River Valley of the Panhandle accounting for the largest share of the crop. The counties of Scotts Bluff, Box Butte, and Morrill account for nearly half of the State's dry bean crop.
Minnesota, the fourth leading producer, accounts for 8 percent of the U.S. crop. Commercial production of dry beans took hold in the mid-1960s at the same time neighboring North Dakota's industry began to develop. Grown on about 665 farms (24 percent lower than in 1997), 21 percent of the State's dry bean acreage is irrigated. Navy (36 percent of State output), dark red kidney (27 percent), and pinto (14 percent) beans account for the majority of the State's production. Minnesota is the leading producer of dark red kidney beans, with 57 percent of national output. Production is scattered across 41 counties with the largest concentration of acreage in the Red River Valley. Polk (28 percent), Otter Tail (11 percent), and Hubbard (7 percent) counties are the top three producers.
Idaho rounds out the top five producing states, with 7 percent of the national dry bean crop in 2002-04. According to the 2002 Census, 762 farms in 19 counties produced dry beans in Idaho, 36 percent fewer farms than in 1997. Although Idaho's dry bean crop is diversified among most classes, pinto beans (41 percent of State output), pink beans (14 percent), and small red beans (12 percent) are the leading bean classes produced in the State. The largest concentration of dry beans is located in the Magic Valley of southern Idaho. The leading counties are Twin Falls (37 percent), Jerome (15 percent), and Canyon (13 percent).
California is the sixth-leading producer of dry beans with just
385 farms producing about 6 percent of the U.S. crop. California's
climate is favorable for most types of dry beans with a wide variety
produced annually. However, four bean classes dominate, accounting
for 82 percent of output. Blackeye peas (actually a type of bean)
account for 23 percent of California's crop—57 percent of national
blackeye output. This is followed by baby lima (25 percent), large
limas (23 percent), and garbanzo (11 percent) beans. Production
(including lima beans) is widespread, with Stanislaus (15 percent),
San Joaquin (12 percent), and Colusa (10 percent) counties the major
producers. Production in the State has been trending lower, with
the 2004 crop a record low.
Colorado was the seventh-leading producer during 2002-04, accounting for 5 percent of the U.S. dry bean crop. The State's 686 dry bean farms in 2002 (down 37 percent from 1997) largely specialize in the production of pinto beans, with smaller amounts of others such as light red kidney. Third in national pinto production, 86 percent of the beans produced in Colorado are pintos grown in two areas separated by the Rocky Mountains—the northeast area and the southwest corner of the state. Beans in the northeast are grown under irrigation and realize greater yields than those in the southeast, which are largely produced on dry land. Yuma (29 percent of the crop), Weld (22 percent), and Phillips (11 percent) counties in the northeastern part of the state are the leading producers.
Other Crops Grown On Dry Bean Farms
Because dry beans are an excellent crop to grow in rotation with grain and root crops, most dry bean growers harvest other crops as well. According to the Census of Agriculture, wheat, corn, and barley are the most common crops harvested along with dry beans. The three most common crops by State are:
- North Dakota—wheat, barley, and soybeans
- Michigan—corn, soybeans, and sugar beets
- Nebraska—corn, wheat, and sugar beets
- Minnesota—wheat, soybeans, and corn
- Idaho—wheat, alfalfa hay, and sugar beets
- California—cotton, vegetables, and wheat
- Colorado—corn, wheat, and alfalfa hay
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