Idaho Legumes

1. Idaho Legumes

2. What are Legumes? Legumes are plants that have pods with edible seeds in them. Legumes grown in Idaho include beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils. http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/07/85007-004-F9AB42C2.jpg http://wwhttp://www.pea-lentil.com/photo-gallery/2

3. Legume Facts • Legume plants have a special bacteria living on their roots that help them collect nitrogen which all plants need for growth. • Peas, lentils, and chickpeas are also called “pulse” crops. • When the dry legumes are harvested, their seeds can be stored for a very long time. http://www.extension.uidaho.edu/cereals/nidaho/reports/2011/2011%20Web%20Files/2011%20Small%20Grain%20and%20Grain%20Legume%20Report.pdf

4. History of Legumes Legumes are among the oldest plants on Earth and can be traced back to the Mediterranean regions such as Greece, Egypt, and Asia Minor. Peas, lentils, and chickpeas have been found in Asia dating back 11,000 years. http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/06/89906-004-8B67E236.gif

5. Legumes in the Americas Legumes were also some of the first crops grown by early humans in the Americas. They were one of the first domesticated plants in the new world and can be traced back as far as 6000 B.C. That’s over 8000 years ago!! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Americas_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg/550px-Americas_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg.png

6. Where Peas & Lentils are grown in Idaho. • Idaho is fourth in dry pea and lentil production in the United States. • Latah, Benewah, Lewis, Idaho, and Nez Perce counties are the top dry pea and lentil producers in Idaho.

7. Idaho Lentil Facts • 90% of all lentils in the United States are grown within a 90 mile radius of Moscow, Idaho, and Pullman, Washington. This area is call “The Palouse”. • The word Palouse comes from the French word “pelouse” which means grassland.

8. Dry Peas • Dry peas are dried naturally in the sun and are split for faster cooking. • President Thomas Jefferson grew 30 different kinds of peas in his garden. • Peas are also used in making some pet foods. The peas are just as healthy for pets as they are humans! http://www.pea-lentil.com/core/files/pealentil/gallery/t_4ce4071b86183.jpg http://www.cookingwithpulses.com/about-pulses/

9. Chickpeas • Chickpeas are shaped with a beak resembling that of a baby chick. • Chickpeas are also called Garbanzo beans. http://www.pea-lentil.com/core/files/pealentil/gallery/f_4ce408e1724ad.jpg http://www.cookingwithpulses.com/about-pulses/

10. Chickpeas Chickpeas are the key ingredient in hummus. In the U.S. alone, hummus sales have gone from $5 million to $192 million in ten years. http://www.onceuponacuttingboard.com/2011/12/masala-hummus.html

11. Lentils in the United States • Lentils were first grown in the Palouse of Washington State by a farmer named J.J. Wagner in 1916. He got his first seeds from a minister named Schultz who brought them from his homeland of Russia. The seeds grew well in the rich, volcanic soil. • Today, farmers grow over 600,000 acres of lentils each year in the United States. http://thelunacafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/An-Array-of-Northwest-Lentils.jpg

12. Legumes are a high protein vegetable.

13. Nutrition Facts Legumes like Idaho peas, lentils, and chickpeas are unique in that they are high in both protein and fiber. That’s a rare combination!

14. Legume Nutrition

15. What do Idaho citizens need to know about dry peas and lentils? You will take the role of a newscaster trying to convince the Idaho television audience to eat dry peas and lentils. You should include nutritional information as evidence to support your claim. You could include information about how eating a locally produced crop is good for Idaho’s economy. Background about the history of legumes might also add credibility to your argument by establishing you as a research expert. Write a script to guide your feature story.