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Statistics
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number Of Contracts | 76 | 70 | 69 | 80 | 57 | 38 | 63 |
| Acres Contracted | 5,725 | 5,960 | 4,757 | 5,020 | 4,316 | 3,060 | 5,388 |
| Acres Harvested | 7,468 | 6,671 | 6,665 | 7,294 | 6,529 | 6,988 | 6,991 |
| Tons Harvested | 29,817 | 28,057 | 30,675 | 26,345 | 27,238 | 26,628 | 27,953 |
| Gross Farm Value(.000) | $5,432 | $5,307 | $5,898 | $4,915 | $6,258 | $7,561 | $8,777 |
P = Preliminary
Source: Processor Information Returns
History
Green Beans originated in Central & South America. They were an important staple food in Native American agriculture, being one of the three sister crops (corn, beans, and squash).
One of the most memorable developments in their history was the introduction of the first ‘stringless’ beans in 1894. Developed by Calvin Keeney “Father of the Stringless Beans” these snap beans took away the barrier of green beans requiring extensive cooking to make them edible. By the 1950’s, researchers further developed green bean strains and released Blue Lake variety which were dark green, firm, round, straight, and stringless. This variety remains popular today even as new varieties are released.
Today green beans are eaten around the world and sold in fresh, canned and frozen options.
Nutrition & Health
Green Beans as part of the legume family have the ability to lower the risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. A serving of green beans provides the body with numerous essential nutrients such as: fiber, vitamin A and C, potassium, and folate.
Green beans are also an excellent source of minerals, such as manganese which helps support your metabolism, bone health, and promotes wound healing.
Beans are also a low FODMAP food, meaning that they can be consumed by individuals with chronic digestive issues.
Canned and frozen option are a convenient and healthy choice to add more green beans to your diet. Canned beans require no added preservatives and are cooked quickly at high temperatures to ensure there is minimal loss of nutrients. And frozen green beans are blanched at their peak of freshness and flash frozen to ensure nutrients are not loss in the process.
Cooking Tips
- Toss green beans with cooking oil, pepper, and Parmesan cheese, and roast in the oven at 425°F (218°C) until crispy.
- Add canned or blanched frozen green beans to your green salads or sauté them in oil, garlic and lemon juice.
Interesting Facts
- Best known types of green bean are string type, stringless type and runner beans. String types have either rounded or flat pods. Stringless types have pods without fibrous strings. Runner types grow in the form of a vine and it is often used in a dry form.
- The use of beans has been so ingrained into western culture that a few expressions in the English language contain the word “beans.” For example, “spill the beans,” refers to the act of divulging a secret; and “full of beans” is a phrase used to describe a person who is energetic and active.