The North Dakota Soybean Council, Northern Pulse Growers Association, Northarvest Bean Growers Association and North Dakota State University (NDSU) welcomed Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG) farmer directors and staff to Fargo, N.D. on July 30 and 31, 2026.
Day 1 – Learning from our friends and neighbours:
(L-R) Sikiru Adeniyi Atanda – NDSU pea, chick pea, and lentil breeder; Janelle Whitley – Pulse Canada Senior Director, Market Access & Trade Policy; Robbie Misko – MPSG farmer Director from Roblin; Melvin Rattai – MPSG board chair farmer from Beausejour and Vice Chair Soy Canada board; Brendan Phillips – MPSG farmer director from Hartney; Terry Buss – MPSG Production Agronomist East; Wendy McDonald – MPSG Production Agronomist West; Demian Gallego – Soy Canada Manager of Market Development; Jared Bento – MPSG Research Specialist; Patti Rothenburger – MPSG Executive Director; Shannon Berndt – Executive Director Northern Pulse Growers Association; Juan Osorno – NDSU Dry Bean Breeder; Toban Dyck – Burr Forest Group and Mitch Coulter -Executive Director Northarvest Bean Growers Association.
The Northarvest Bean Growers Association represents 2,800 dry bean growers, and processing facilities in North Dakota & Minnesota. They focus on research, education and market development. They account for 64 per cent of all the dry bean acres planted in the United States and 57 per cent of the total U.S. dry bean production. The Northarvest Region grows the most pinto, navy, kidney and pink beans in the U.S. and the second largest for small red beans and black beans. North Dakota had 566,300 acres and Minnesota had 291,300 harvested acres of dry beans.
The Northern Pulse Growers Association represent 5,000 dry pea, chickpea, and lentil growers in Montana and North Dakota. They produce 80 per cent of the U.S.’ dry peas, chick peas, and lentils.
The Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers represents 4,000 farmers. Manitoba is Canada’s largest grower of pinto beans.
Pulse Canada represents 26,000 growers in Canada and 110 companies. This is 3.9 million acres of lentils (85 per cent in Saskatchewan), three million acres of peas (54 per cent in Saskatchewan and 48 pre cent in Alberta), 500,000 acres of chickpeas, 325,000 acres of dry edible beans (45 per cent in Manitoba and 35 per cent in Ontario). In Canada, we export 85 per cent of pulse production to 120 countries. Canada’s number one market for dry edible beans is the U.S.
We toured the newly constructed Peltier Complex on the NDSU campus. The main corridor features flags from several countries of delegates whom they have also hosted here and highlights the history of agriculture in North Dakota. Agriculture is the number one industry in North Dakota and 85 per cent of that is crops. State laws tend to discourage corporate farms and therefore they have a smaller livestock sector. North Dakota has 800,000 people and 1.73 million cows. North Dakota leads the U.S. in production of hard red spring wheat, durum wheat, oats, flax, pinto beans, dry edible peas, lentils, sunflower, canola, and honey.
North Dakota has approximately 25,000 farms and the average farm size is 1,552 acres which is roughly 24.2 million acres of annual cropland. Close to seven million acres is soybeans.
In the U.S., 80 per cent of dry bean production stays domestic. The consumption rate is 7.5 pounds per person per year. North Dakota is their countries largest Pinto bean producer at 71 per cent, and Minnesota is their countries largest black bean producer at 38 per cent.
Dry bean growers in North Dakota are typically soybean growers who got tired of issues with Iron Deficiency Chlorosis and Soybean Cyst Nematode.
Juan and the NDSU team are the largest publicly funded dry bean breeders in the U.S. Anna Heilman, who specializes in Advanced Data Management also spoke to us and highlighted apps they use for large scale plant breeding, processing UAV data, and enhancing extension programs.
At the Peltier complex they like to think of agricultural products as ingredients for food rather than a commodity.
The hammer mill can make “flour” out of many crops.
In the afternoon we were hosted by Executive Director Stephanie Sinner of the North Dakota Soybean Council.
Toban, Brendan, Demian, Terry, Melvin and Janelle.
We had great discussion among farmers, agronomists and academics on policy, trade, production, and tariff impacts. Dr. Bill Wilson – NDSU Ag Economist understands how closely our two countries need to work together when it comes to the soybean industry. Yes, he did tease us about the wild fire smoke we were “sending to the States” and yes, we did say sorry too! Canada imports 185,000 MT of soybeans. Canada exports 423,000 MT to the U.S. and 71 per cent of that comes from Manitoba, roughly $1.23 billion.
Patti, Stephanie Sinner – North Dakota Soybean Council Executive Director, and retired farmer from Jamestown, N.D. and director Monte Peterson.
North Dakota soybeans also have low protein but really good sucrose levels and amino acid levels. They face a 40 cent per bushel discount due to low protein. They’re frustrated because when buyers are asked what they want, they say high EEA not necessarily high protein.
Farmer from Rugby, ND and director Todd Stutrud.
The conversation was interesting and lots of questions were asked and answered. Demian presented many Canadian soybean stats.
Janelle, Brendan, and Terry.
Next, we were excited to tour the North Dakota Soy Processors Crush Plant (in the back ground behind Wendy) in Casselton, N.D. (about 20 minutes from Fargo). This is one of three soybean crush plants in North Dakota. Manitoba crushes soybeans at Natural Protein, Delmar and a few small cold micro-press soybean plants making meal for hog feed.
The plant runs 24/7 and had capacity to hold about 14 days of supply only. 100,000 acres of soybeans per month!
When asked, they estimated the plant cost upwards of $500 million to construct. If they were to rebuild it today, it would cost more than $750 million.
70 per cent of the value of the soybean is soybean oil.
Melvin and Patti get ready for the plant tour which didn’t allow any photography.
Toban, Demian, and Jared.
After that we headed nearby to Maple River Grain Fertilizer facitlty.
We toured their 60,000 MT fertilizer shed that recently underwent a $12 million expansion.
This is the control room, which allows them to load out 3 trucks at once. They have farmers picking up, seven floaters and 14 semi tender trucks of their own, and they wholesale fertilizer for other dealers.
This is one of their 11,000 MT urea bins. Most urea arrives by rail.
In addition to urea, they also store Super U, 11-52-0, 0-0-60 (from Canada), and 21-0-0-24. Their small dry bins hold 5,000 MT. They have the ability to blend and to add nitrogen inhibitors and micronutrient coatings.
On Friday morning, we toured the NDSU Agronomy Seed Farm. They do research, breeding, and seed multiplication on this farm.
Miki Miheguli – NDSC Director of Agronomy & Research, Dr, Carrie Dotty – NDSU Soybean Breeder, and Stephanie.
Patti, Terry, and Carrie chat during the tour. We would love to have Carrie come up to Canada and speak to us about soybean breeding.
Brian Otteson – NDSU Director- Foundation Seedstocks and Agronomy Seed Farm explains to us all about the farm.
Robbie and Melvin sit in front the brand new combine that the Agronomy Seed farm gets supplied with thru a special lease program.
Oh but not all their equipment is brand new, my dad had a Owatonna swather like this when I was a kid! Brings back memories.
Dr. Carrie Dotty is very passionate about breeding soybeans and the public varieties that NDSU has released. Some of their soybean lines that are selected are sent to Costa Rica for seed replication. They’re working on many different traits in additional to yield and the land on this farm does have soybean cyst nematode. She explained the breeding process and why there won’t likely ever be hybrid soybeans. She looks to public breeding programs in other states to help her start further ahead in the trait selection process.
North Dakota is currently facing concerns with the insect soybean gall midge and the diseases soybean sudden death syndrome and red crown rot root (which is now in Minnesota).
In 2025, the Manitoba soybean average yield of 42.6 bushels per acre was higher than the North Dakota average soybean yield of 34.5 bushels per acre. Manitoba grew about 1.8 million acres of soybeans and North Dakota grew about 7.2 million acres of soybeans.
We look forward to working together in the future with everyone that we met with during our time in North Dakota. Great visit, very smart people! Thank you so much!