Montana novelty crop innovations
We are studying and sharing information on the culinary, nutritional, and processing properties of Montana specialty crops to make them more competitive in the world market.
Pulse Products
As a leading pulse producer, Montana ships out 90% of produce without any processing. We will use extrusion to develop pasta, breakfast cereals, snacks, and meat analogs using Montana specialty crops such as lentils, chickpeas, and beans to encourage value-added agriculture. We are also studying how low carbon footprint, organic, and Made-in-Montana labels can influence the purchase intent for pulse products.
Small fruit and berries
Montana community access to locally-grown fresh fruit is limited due to challenging weather conditions that limit the ability to produce certain common fruit crops, such as blueberries. Novel small fruits and berries such as haskaps, saskatoons, and dwarf sour cherries grow well in Montana's climate. This project focuses on mapping consumer interest and diversifying income streams by considering value-added food products.
Hemp innovation and testing
We are working with the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority (RCEDA) on the development of a hemp-infused cooking oil, made with Montana-grown and -processed hemp and safflower. Our involvement includes planning the design for constituency and consumer sensory testing, as well as providing product testing in our laboratory. Learn more about this project on the RCEDA website.
Recipes
Our kitchen-tested recipes feature Montana specialty crops as well as Indigenous ingredients.
Resources
The Science of Baking Innovation: Montana Specialty Crops
Mark Floerke is host of the BAKED in Science podcast and is a former senior scientist at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Dr. Wan-Yuan Kuo, Director of the Montana State University Food Product Development Lab, invites Mark to discuss the science and potential of Montana whole and fractionated pulse ingredients and sprouted crops in bakery innovations.