Nuffield Scholars Field Reports

20th August 2004
Tony Hamilton Reports from Michigan and Ontario

It's bean country here. 'Jack and the beanstalk' had nothing on these soybeans. As thick and high as ever. The change in climate from southern California and Arizona to here was dramatic. It's about 15oC cooler, yet the days are longer. This summer has been so much wetter and cooler than normal that farmers are worried many summer crops will not mature before the first frosts.

Lansing, the capital of Michigan USA, is also home to Michigan State University, one of the largest Land Grant Agricultural Universities in the country. I'd arrived here to look at azuki beans and other dry bean varieties. The choice is overwhelming; edible soybean cultivars such as white hilums, black soybeans, nattos, edamame, as well as black eyed beans, pintos, cranberries, whites, turtles and specialist Japanese varieties such as azukis, tebos and kintokis.

Huron County in Ontario, Canada is also a major dry bean growing area. A sign outside the small town of Hensall proclaimed "Hensall, the white bean capital of the world". A large grower owned business, Hensall District Co-Op has invested millions in grading and storage facilities for dry beans.

However, Roundup Ready corn and crushing soybeans, and conventional wheat still dominate the landscape. In fact, the acreage of specialist beans declines each year in Michigan and Ontario. The extra work growing dry beans and hassles of not having Roundup Ready varieties mean net returns from specialty beans tend to be lower than these mainstream crops. A few specialist bean growers said they can make superior returns, but attention to detail was paramount as there was less margin for error when growing these crops.

The growing season is short. Beans are planted as soon as soil temperatures are warm enough then, in most years, harvested before the first frosts and snow. Summer weather patterns bring warm air from the south and temperatures can reach the mid 30s (oC) but when the winter approaches, watch out! Artic winds racing across lake Huron can dump metres of snow, lowering the temperatures to the minus 30s. My host commented that at least he had four distinct seasons. They would go swimming and boating in summer and ice skating in winter.

Further south in Ontario, near Lake Eirie, some farmers are facing a different set of challenges. Tobacco was a mainstream, highly profitable crop, regulated with quotas and supply arrangements. However, this year tobacco companies are only purchasing 27% of a grower's quota allotment. During the next few years, the number of growers will have to drop from 1,000 to less than 500. The challenge is to find highly profitable crops to replace tobacco. The farmers also have huge investments in quota, glasshouses to grow tobacco seedlings, planting and harvesting equipment and drying kilns, so many are reluctant to make the change. My host was experimenting with a range of alternative crops, such as 'pick-your-own' vegetables. He is also subdividing one field for a housing development. He said that is his most profitable option, but "you only get one crop".

The amazing part about the 'Nuffield experience' is the warmth and generosity of my hosts. The people I visited and stayed with were so keen to share their time, welcome me into their families, and discuss their farming operations openly that I regretted not being able to spend more time with them and hope I can return the favour if they visit Australia.