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The South
Dakota Pulse Growers, Inc. (SDPGI) was formed in 1992 by a small
group of farm producers in central South Dakota who were
interested in pursuing the introduction of new or alternative
crops into this area in order to improve their crop rotation
options. Crop rotation is an environmentally sound farm
production practice that allows farmers to use diversity to
break the cycle of weeds and diseases.
The
organization adopted a set of bylaws and was incorporated as a
non profit in the state of South Dakota in 1992. The primary
goal of the organization is to educate farmers in pulse crop
production through newsletters and education programs.
After
incorporation, the organization recognized a need for local
research efforts to improve the production tools available to
South Dakota farmers. Therefore they contacted
SDSU and asked that
variety trials be initiated throughout the areas of the state
where pulse crops were adapted. Variety trials were initiated in
a number of locations across the north, central and western
regions of South Dakota by the West River Ag Research Center.
The largest trials are located at Wall and Selby, SD. Following
the initiation of variety trials was the initiation of extensive
herbicide and fungicide trials.
The Pulse
Growers found a need to use the IR-4 program, a minor use
pesticide registration program funded through
USDA, to lobby for
registrations of pesticides that would give farmers growing
pulse crops the production tools they need to successfully
produce these crops. They also lobbied the
SD Dept. of Ag. and
SDSU to help facilitate these registrations.
Recently
it has come to the organizations attention that another hurdle
for farmers to overcome is the wide fluctuations in commodity
price that can occur year to year in pulse crops. Pulse crops,
unlike wheat, soybeans and corn were not included in the US
government’s 1995 Farm Bill. Where many of the traditional crops
had “price stabilization” programs for growers, pulse crops had
none. Thus the 1995 Farm Bill had the unintentional effect of
discouraging crop rotation and diversification. Also it was
difficult for farmers to obtain any type of competitive crop
insurance until they had grown pulse crops for a number of years
and had “proven yields”. These two concerns added up to making
it a risky undertaking for farmers to try growing pulse crops,
although there are a number of growers that grew them
successfully in SD despite these handicaps. The SD Pulse Growers
felt these were important issues that needed to be dealt with by
the organization. Therefore prior to the passage of the 2002 US
Farm Bill, The South Dakota Pulse Growers joined The
US Dry Pea & Lentil
Association (USDP&LA) and The
ND Dry Pea & Lentil
Association (NDDP&LA) in efforts to educate congress on the
benefits of including field peas, chickpeas and lentils in the
2002 US Farm Bill
and thus giving farmers some income stability when choosing to
include these crops on their farms. A direct result of the
efforts of these grower associations was that the 2002 US Farm
Bill did include LDP’s or price supports for field peas, lentils
and small chickpeas.
The SDPGI
has also written letters to encourage The USDA Risk Management
Division to ease up on their rules requiring farmers have three
or four years of proven yields on any certain field before they
can obtain crop insurance. In addition to this the SDPGI is
working with state FSA officials to see if NAP crop insurance
levels can be raised for beginning pulse producers to levels
more in line with realistic yields.
Another
goal of the group is to encourage development of facilities to
process these commodities with in the state. Currently only feed
or seed is processed in SD. Most of the field peas and chickpeas
grown for the human edible markets are processed out of state.
Along with
the other activities, each year since 1992, the group has used
membership dollars to sponsor organized educational programs and
produce newsletters, to educate and inform producers, extension
and industry personnel. Therefore in the years since its
inception, the SDPGI, although consisting of a small group of
producers with a very part-time executive officer, has been
active in encouraging diversification of cropping systems in the
state of SD.
Nutritionally, field peas, lentils and chickpeas provide a
locally produced, low cost and low fat source of protein. They
are also attractive to producers because they form a symbiotic
relationship with soil rhizobia to produce their own nitrogen.
This reduces input costs for producers.
In 2004
there were upwards of 13,000 Acres of field peas, chickpeas and
lentils grown in South Dakota. Farmers who grew these crops in
2004 now have full bins and LDP payments in the bank, where
soybean and corn fields stand and especially in the northern
areas of the state, are in dire need of heat units to obtain
average yields this year. This is a year where diversification
and specifically, encouragement of pulse crop production in SD,
has benefited South Dakota producers and in turn, South Dakota.
Prepared
for The SD Food Nutrition Coordinating Committee, September 29,
2004 by Ruth Beck, Executive Officer, The SDPGI, 1992-2004. |
