An agricultural category covering various leguminous crops harvested primarily for their dry, mature seeds to be eaten by humans. This distinguishes them from soybeans or forage legumes grown for oil, industrial processing, or livestock feed. The category includes pintos, navies, kidneys, and black beans, which require specialized harvesting equipment to prevent seed cracking.
The edible bean market is up, so we're dedicating another hundred acres to pintos this rotation.
Also heard as
- dry bean
Related terms
Market class
A commercial categorization of a commodity based on physical traits and end use.
Cash crop
An agricultural crop grown specifically to be sold for profit rather than for the farmer's own use.
Row crop
A crop planted in distinct, widely spaced rows to allow machinery to pass through for cultivation and harvesting.