BEAN DAY - Northarvest Bean Growers Association

A message from the president
Dear members:
“When the going gets tough, the tough get
going.”
That’s a quote I particularly like. I’m not certain
where it comes from, but it certainly applies
to our industry this year and the Northarvest
Bean Growers Association.
The dry bean industry is in particularly tough
shape. Prices remain stubbornly low.
Competition grows on all fronts.
So what is your organization - the Northarvest
Bean Growers Association, in conjunction with
Mark Myrdal
the North Dakota Dry Bean Council and the
Minnesota Dry Bean Research and Promotion Council - doing about it?
We are working harder and trying to work smarter.
We believe we have the right approach in research, promotion, market
development and communication to solve key problems.
We target research to develop new varieties that will be that will be canners’
and packagers’ first choice. We invest in research that we think will
raise your yields or reduce your costs.
Our promotion program has been never more aggressive. By focusing
our campaigns on people who lead food trends, we have never leveraged
our investment more.
We have a sound strategy for servicing current overseas customers
and developing new export markets. We are working with others in the dry
bean industry on state and national legislative issues that affect our ability
to trade freely and fairly.
And finally, we continue to place a priority on providing you with as
much information as we can to help you make better decisions about selling
dry beans and buying inputs to grow them.
This annual report summarizes our efforts in these and other areas during
the 1999-2000 fiscal year. Times are tough, but we are tough, too.
Sincerely,
NORTHARVEST BEAN GROWER January-February 2001 Page 13
Mark Myrdal