Healthy Pulse Crop Initiative On Display at Lewiston School

Lewiston  - Two new initiatives created in the five-year Farm Bill will assist pulse crops-healthy foods like peas, lentils and chickpeas-grown on the Palouse of Idaho and Washington.  The benefits of the new programs will be on display this week before a health class in Lewiston and celebrated by growers, researchers and industry groups.

Idaho Senator Mike Crapo and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) led the effort to create the Pulse Health Initiative and a school nutrition pilot program for pulse crops.  The Pulse Health Initiative increases research at the University of Idaho and other institutions to study the nutritional benefits of pulse crops, including their ability to reduce obesity and associated chronic disease.  The pilot project brings new emphasis to healthy school meals made from pulse crops, making them eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's school lunch and breakfast programs.

Some of those recipes will be enjoyed by students on Thursday, when Crapo, leaders from the U.S. Dry Pea & Lentil Council, the University of Idaho and area pulse crop producers discuss the new initiatives at Jenifer Junior High School.

News conference and demonstration of Pulse Crop Initiatives and pilot program:

Thursday, March 20

9:00 AM

Jennifer Junior High School, 1213 16 ^th Street

Lewiston

Idaho Senator Mike Crapo

Tim McGreevy, CEO, U.S. Dry Pea and Lentil Council

Pat Smith, Idaho Pulse Crop Grower

Katie Miner, Senior Instructor, Foods and Nutrition Program,

Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

University of Idaho