Wada Farms opens new markets in beans, quinoa

Wada Farms is getting into beans and quinoa.

Speaking at the West Coast Produce Expo in May, Joe Esta, vice president of the Idaho Falls, Idaho-based company, said it is moving into marketing pre-cooked, sealed bags of beans to foodservice and retail customers. 

The foodservice pack has six four-pound bags of beans.

While it won’t rival Wada Farms core commodities of potatoes, onions and sweet potatoes, Esta said the commodity meets a market need.
“It is basically the replacement for a No. 10 can (of beans) but you don’t have to deal with any of the metal, and you don’t get all the extra juice,” he said. “You are actually paying for the beans and not for all the extra packaging.” 

Garbanzo, black, red and pinto bean options are available in single or mixed packs, he said. The beans are grown in Idaho.

For the retail market, he said the precooked beans will be a refrigerated product, likely marketed in the deli or ready-made salad department.

The product is expected to be available to retailers in the next few months.

Esta said the company also is processing and marketing Idaho-grown quinoa. The product will be marketed to retail and foodservice accounts.

Wada Farms is currently exporting quinoa. 

“We would like to get it in retail, but that is a little bit down the road,” Esta said.