Dave Oien is the Founding Farmer and President of Timeless Seeds . In this episode he reflects on decades of organic pulse crop production, breeding, handling, and marketing. He helped to pioneer the US market for growing pulses as an organic cash crop, then began selling seed to other farmers, and ultimately has grown a business of selling lentils, chickpeas, and other crops to consumers around the world. Dave’s story was even captured in a book called “ Lentil Underground ”. “These lentils are...
May 25, 2021•31 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In this episode, Dr. Clare Coyne , curator of the USDA cool season food legume collection in Pullman, Washington gives us a really fascinating look into this extensive collection. You’ll hear how the collection is curated, preserved and utilized to continue to provide high quality seed to researchers, and ultimately to farmers. The seeds are stored under refrigeration and controlled humidity as part of a combined state and USDA effort. Under ideal conditions, they could store as long as 100 year...
May 12, 2021•23 min•Season 2Ep. 7
For the past 15 years, Tony Wagner has been on a journey to improve the soil health of his farmland, which runs the gamut from sandy to high clay. He’s located about 100 miles west of Fargo, so farther east than a lot of the North Dakota pulse growers, but he says they’ve worked well in his rotation. Tony shares how he got into pulses, why he’s stuck with them, how they fit into building soil health, and a really interesting project of planting peas with flax as a companion crop to try to keep t...
Apr 29, 2021•23 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Dr. Alan McKay joins us all the way from Australia, to talk about some exciting work they are doing to measure various soil microbes including pathogens and beneficial rhizobia. Dr McKay is the Leader of the Soil Biology and Molecular Diagnostics group at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI). He is committed to not only studying soil-borne diseases and other aspects of soil biology, but also developing tools for growers to manage this biology in their operations. He ha...
Apr 13, 2021•21 min•Season 2Ep. 5
We have a great discussion for you featuring Jeff Rumney , Vice President of Marketing at the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council , Johanna Stobbs , who works to promote U.S. pulses in the European market, and Raul Caballero who represents U.S. pulses in Mexico and throughout Latin America. US Pulses are widely recognized and preferred in the global marketplace with lots of opportunity for growth going forward. In this episode we discuss what has driven demand for pulses traditionally in these areas,...
Mar 30, 2021•32 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Dr. Tim Seipel joins us to talk about integrated weed management. Tim is a Cropland Weed Extension Specialist at Montana State University. In this episode, he’ll talk about the threat of weed resistance, how to think about weed management strategies, and some of the tactics they are working on to combat some of the most threatening weeds to pulse crops. “Integrated weed management is an approach to managing weeds where you combine multiple control tactics. Each one of those control tactics is no...
Mar 17, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 3
March 15th is the last day to complete enrollment for 2021 agriculture risk coverage and price loss coverage programs. Considering that day is coming up in less than two weeks from when this episode publishes, we thought we’d bring you a little bit of timely information about crop insurance in pulses. Steve Junghans is a risk management specialist at the USDA risk management agency regional office in Billings, MT. He is the lead person there for pulse crops, and is responsible for maintaining an...
Mar 02, 2021•14 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Today we consider the economic opportunities of adding pulse crops into your operations. Dan Folske is an extension agent in Burke County, North Dakota, which is in the northwest part of the state. He’s been there in that position for over 30 years, and a big part of what he does is work with farmers to establish budgets and utilize tools for business decisions. Dan’s going to share what he’s seeing on the economics of planting pulses, and some tools he utilizes with the farmers he works with. “...
Feb 16, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Don’t forget to register today for the Northern Pulse Growers Association Annual Convention happening January 19th - 21st. You can get all the information over at www.NorthernPulse.com . In this panel we explore the advantages and challenges associated with the grading of pulse crops. While many producers grow frustrated by more criteria or hoops to jump through, our experts suggest that with careful management many times these can be used to the producers advantage by verifying the high standar...
Jan 14, 2021•35 min
Paul Kanning led our panel on “Making Your Farm Equipment Work for you.” Paul is the MPCC Vice Chair as well as a producer from Flaxville, Montana. He was joined by Lowell Harris, a service manager at Torgerson’s LLC, Phil Moodie, a store manager for Front Line Ag, James Neumon, a service manager from Hoven Equipment Company and Mike Kjos, a store manager for C & B Operations. Needless to say, with a panel like this you are going to hear great insight into what the industry standard is for e...
Jan 12, 2021•45 min
Dr. Mike Ostlie hosts a panel discussing the potential and process for intercropping with pulse crops. Dr. Ostlie is a research agronomist at NDSU Carrington REC. He leads us through a discussion with Justin Jacobs a Research Specialist at NDSU Williston REC, Dr. Chengci Chen a Cropping Systems Agronomist and Superintendent of the Montana State University Eastern Ag Research Center and Karl Mavencamp a farmer from Malta, Montana. The concept of having two crops growing in the same space requires...
Jan 08, 2021•37 min
**Register for the Northern Pulse Growers Association Annual Convention happening virtually January 19-21: https://www.northernpulse.com/events/conventions/ Today's episode was recorded live at the NPGA Montana Pulse Day Virtual Event in November. USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council CEO Tim McGreevy gave a presentation on domestic and international pulse markets, then opened the floor for some Q&A moderated by NPGA President Chris Westergard. Videos from Tim's presentation can be found on the USA...
Jan 05, 2021•13 min
Please help provide feedback for the Growing Pulse Crops Podcast by completing our survey! Click the link here! We look forward to hearing from you! Dr. Joe Ikley is an Extension Weed Specialist at North Dakota State University and joins us to explain why fall weed control is crucial to best crop management. His extension responsibilities there include weed control on all row crops except for sugar beets and potatoes. “We do just want to emphasize as many ways as we can that these weeds will be ...
Oct 06, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Can you tell the difference between a garbanzo bean and a chickpea? Neither can I. The bean is referred to as both so pick your favorite. Phil Hinrichs joins us from Hinrichs Trading Company to share his experiences with growing chickpeas and watching the industry grow. Initially chickpeas were mainly grown for export but in the last ten years have developed a domestic market that has really been taking off. With products like hummus and consumer desire for gluten free, chickpeas answer a lot of...
Sep 23, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Not all crops are created equal. Sometimes, crops have the ability to contribute far more than their yield to an operation. Today we meet with Howard Nelson, a recently retired agronomist at Highline Grain Growers and Mark Sheffels a farmer who lives in Eastern Washington, the territory Howard once covered. During his career, Howard focused his efforts on finding another crop to work into a wheat rotation to overwinter. He settled on fall sown peas for its nitrogen fixing ability and marketabili...
Sep 08, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Today in episode ten, we explore harvest aids with Dr. Drew Lyon from Washington State University. We also get an update on current pulse markets from Kevin Buxa of Halo Commodity Company based in Fargo, ND. If you’re new to pulse crops, they include crops such as field peas, chickpeas and lentils. This show follows some pulse crop farmers through the growing season and dives into the research that’s helping them through some of the challenges they face. We’ll also talk to a number of other indu...
Aug 25, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Pulses require unique rotations, harvesting and inputs. To continue with this theme, they also have unique pest challenges. Today we are joined by Lance Lindbloom the Lead Agronomist for 406 Agronomy and Dr. Sean Prager an Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources Plant Science Department. “Our chickpeas are ones that are most bulletproof when it comes to insects.” - Lance Lindbloom Lentils, on the other hand, seem to be most affected by pests ...
Aug 11, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Can intercropping pulses with other crops help with problems like disease pressure? That's what we explore on this episode. Farmer driven research at the Southeast Research Farm in Saskatchewan is a non-profit gift to farmers. Lana Shaw is the Research Manager there and has become the resident expert on intercropping specifically with flax and chickpeas. “Adding a small amount of flax to chickpeas, we’ve found in small plot trials and farmer fields and in producer surveys, that it reduces the le...
Jul 21, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Canada has long been a leader in pulse crop production. A lot of what we know and use in the United States comes from their experiences and research. We are joined today by Dale Risula. Dale is the Provincial Specialist for pulse crops and other specialty crops with the Ministry of Agriculture based in Saskatchewan and he echoes the significance of crop rotation in pulses. “If you grow any one particular crop too frequently, then the pathogens tend to build out and that’s when they become a prob...
Jul 07, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Farmer Lavern Johnson returns once again to share his insight with pulse crops. After 20 years of pulse crop farming, Lavern explained in episode 4 how root rot affected his ability to plant pulse crops for the next season. “As far as the root rot, the only management practice that I think I have going forwards is lengthening out the rotation.” - Lavern Johnson Research out of Canada suggests that it can take 8 years without a pulse crop host to successfully battle the aphanomyces. For Lavern, p...
Jun 23, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Pulse crops offer some great benefits to the farmers that pursue them. Today we will talk about the market opportunities pulse crops offer especially during current uncertain times in regards to the Covid Pandemic. We also discuss the benefits offered by the nitrogen fixing bacteria to the soil associated with these crops. Dr. Anton Bekkerman joins us from Montana State University to explain the effects of Covid on the pulse crop markets. With the possibility of shelter in place on the horizon, ...
Jun 09, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 7
“It is difficult to find a chemistry that is safe on the crop, controls multiple weeds, is fairly easy to make, (and is) relatively inexpensive to make.” - Dr. Brian Jenks Creating, trialing and gaining an EPA approved label for herbicides with new mechanisms of action is an expensive, difficult process. It is unlikely we will see any new chemistries in the next year or two. Pulse growers are already limited on what is available so waiting for a new product will not help them in the near future....
May 27, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Mark Schmidt, a North Dakota Farmer, joins us to share the steps he is taking to improve the fertility of his pulse crops. Dr. Dave Franzen from the NDSU extension also chimes in to share what current research and recommendations are available for pulse growers. Mark discusses his thought process in working through what crops to plant this season especially in the current global climate that is “just unlike any other year that I’ve farmed.” His persistent battle with root rot has led to planting...
May 12, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Today we are joined by farmer Lavern Johnson and Dr Lyndon Porter, a pulse crop plant pathologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. After 20 years of experience as a pulse crop grower, Lavern Johnson brings real world issues to the forefront today by sharing why he is unable to plant pulse crops this year. Multiple organisms have accumulated in his fields over time leading to significant root rot and making his fields unable to support pulse crops for up to 8 years. Rarely, does any g...
Apr 28, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Today we discuss soil-borne and seed-borne diseases in pulse crops. We are joined by Chris Westergard a farmer in Montana, who gives us insight into what his operation looks like and how he manages these risks to his pulse crops. Then Dr. Michael Wunsch, a Plant Pathologist at the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center, shares some of the ongoing research and recommendations for combating these obstacles. Despite cold temperatures in Montana at the moment, Chris is turning his attention to hi...
Apr 14, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Meet Ryan Ellis, a farmer from North Dakota. Ryan shares how he is preparing for the upcoming season. Dr. Brian Jenks, a weed scientist from the North Dakota State University, also joins us to discuss pre-plant options to control weeds in pulse crops. Ryan Ellis farms about 5,000 acres with his father. They currently grow peas, lentils, soybeans, flax and forages. Ryan shares that growing pulse crops requires a lot of forethought and planning. There are not many post-emergent herbicide options t...
Mar 31, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome to Growing Pulse Crops Podcast! In our first episode we speak with Tim McGreevy, CEO of the American Pulse Association. Tim explains how pulse crops became a priority in the farm bill and what federal funds has helped them to accomplish. The Pulse Crop initiative expanded research in nutrition data for these crops as well as the benefits to the cropping system. Pulse crops play an integral role in “supporting sustainable agricultural systems around the world.” This has led to recognition...
Mar 24, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Today we introduce you to this brand new podcast focused on growing pulses like field peas, chickpeas and lentils. The purpose of this show is to follow some pulse crop farmers through the growing season and to dive into the research that’s helping them through some of the challenges they face. We’ll also talk to a number of other industry stakeholders along the way. Demand for these nutrient-dense, high-protein foods continues to grow. There is also interest from farmers to include more pulses ...
Mar 13, 2020•1 min
