Musical Fruit

Say “Alberta,” and many people think beef, not beans. 

But the musical fruit is raising its profile in the province. Seeds for the Agrinto pinto bean - the first pinto bean from the Lethbridge/Morden bean breeding program to achieve registration - may hit the commercial market in as little as two years. This all-new, all-Alberta pinto will garner more profit for farmers and offers better quality to consumers, which growers hope will encourage more people to eat beans.

“We’ve been a bean-growing area for probably 40 years, and we’re world-renowned for producing high quality beans,” says Blair Roth, manager of Beans and Special Crops at Agricore United. “A new variety consolidates our brand image as a quality supplier.”

Of the several classes of dry beans grown in Southern Alberta - including Great Northern, small Red, Pink and Black - pintos make up about half. The Agrinto boasts several benefits. The plant’s taller stalk has excellent “standability” (bean-growers lingo for the plant’s ability to stand up and stay up). It also matures early, making it less likely to suffer from disease or frost and results in a higher yield, meaning the farmer earns more profit per acre. 

While farmers and bean growers recognize the benefits of beans, the average Canadian hasn’t caught on - about 70 per cent of Alberta’s beans are exported to Southern California and Mexico alone, according to Alberta Pulse Growers, an agency that represents farmers growing pulse crops such as chickpeas, peas, lentils and beans. That’s why the release of the Agrinto coincided with industry efforts to spread the good word about the health benefits of beans. And slowly, Canadians are beginning to eat more beans, due to a growing ethnic community and a more health-conscious society. And that’s good news for farmers and consumers - low-cost, low-fat, high in fibre and protein-packed, the humble bean is simply a nutritional powerhouse.

As more varieties of beans are cultivated to produce better yields in Alberta’s climate, more farmers may grow them, making it that much easier for consumers to buy and enjoy high-quality, Alberta-grown beans.

And if you’re holding back from the musical fruit because of its musical qualities, take heart - if you start by introducing small quantities of beans to your diet, your body will adjust and the effects will wear off.

Beans by the Numbers

Number of grams of fibre North Americans consume per day: 10

Recommended number of grams of fibre per day: 25 to 38

Portion of daily recommended daily fibre available in a one-cup serving of pinto beans or other pulses: up to 50%

Number of calories in a cup of beans: 210 to 270

Grams of protein in a cup of beans: 14 to 16

Bean bonus: Pulses may help stabilize blood-glucose levels, lessening the risk of diabetes and heart disease and may help reduce the risk of some cancers.