Sustainable from Soil to Shelf: Hummingbird’s Organic Bulk Legumes
Organic Bulk Beans from Hummingbird
Supporting Sustainable Farmers, One Bean at a Time
Carol Deppe, the Corvallis plant breeder, writes:
Dry beans, peas, lentils, and other grain legumes represent the richest source of protein we can find in the plant world. Legumes are also excellent sources of carbohydrates, so are good calorie as well as protein staples. Beans as calorie or carbohydrate sources have the added advantage of having a low glycemic index…Beans are also an excellent source of fiber.*
The ability of legumes to convert sunlight into protein-rich food, while simultaneously fixing nitrogen from the air for use by themselves and other plants, is certainly remarkable. Also remarkable is the sheer variety of legumes: snap peas, shelling peas, cow peas, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, lupini beans, fava beans, pinto beans, navy beans, black beans, red, black, and green lentils, and so much more.
It’s no surprise that legumes in all their forms are staple foods in cultures around the world. From humble peasant cuisines to elevated and highly flavorful dishes. What would Mexican cuisines be without beans, Ethiopian without misir wat, or South Asian without the many types of dal?
Why Our Bulk Legumes Start with a Different Kind of Distributor
At LifeSource, our bulk department carries a huge variety of these diverse legumes. Many of them come to us from Hummingbird Wholesale, a regional distributor based in Eugene. But Hummingbird is no normal distributor. Specializing in organic, regionally-grown crops, Hummingbird is an employee-owned Purpose Trust. They go out of their way to work with farmers growing organic crops. They actively look for and address structural barriers within the food system. Their goal is to make organic agriculture more economically sustainable for rural communities. They call this model “distributor supported agriculture.”
Here are a couple of great Northwest-grown legumes from Hummingbird that you’ll find in the LifeSource bulk department:
Organic Black Beans
Grown in Idaho’s Magic Valley, our black beans are the result of a decades-long partnership between Mike Heath and Alvaro Peralta. Mike is a long-time pioneer in the organic movement, even featured in Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire! Alvaro has worked alongside him for over 20 years. Their diverse 347-acre organic farm integrates alfalfa hay and beef cattle into a holistic rotation and fertility program. These sustainable farming methods produce some of the highest-quality beans we have ever seen.
Organic Pinto Beans
Our organic pinto beans come from two dedicated sources in Idaho. A portion is grown by Fred and Cooper Brossy, a father-son team practicing regenerative agriculture on their 304-acre farm. They are expert seed growers and have served as essential stewards of Hummingbird’s spelt seed stock. The remainder of our supply comes from Joslin Farms, a significant organic operation spanning 2,740 acres that specializes in high-quality dry beans. Both growers utilize alfalfa hay as a cornerstone of their organic crop rotations to maintain soil health.
Sustainably Farmed for Your Family’s Table
From black beans to pintos, lentils to peas, legumes are some of the most nourishing and resilient foods we can put on our plates. They feed our families with steady, plant-based protein and fiber—and they help care for the soil they’re grown in, too. When those legumes come from growers committed to organic practices and long-term stewardship, that nourishment reaches even further.
At LifeSource, we’re proud to carry organic bulk beans sourced through partnerships that prioritize farmer relationships, soil health, and economic sustainability. Every scoop from the bulk bin represents not just a pantry staple, but a thoughtful chain of care—from seed to soil to shelf—to your family’s table.
Ready to bring some of these beans and lentils to life in your kitchen? Brush up with the basics in our Dried Beans Cooking Guide, and below, you’ll find a few of our favorite recipes to help you get started.
*Deppe, Carol (2010). The Resilient Gardener: Food production and self-reliance in uncertain times. Chelsea Green.
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