Did you know that substituting legumes for meat can help reduce the risk of developing a chronic disease, and people who incorporate beans in their diets have lower body weights and lower blood pressure? Simply put, beans are a healthy and magical food.

In our own backyard of Boulder County, the cultivation of this superfood is alive and well at Jules Van Thuyne’s family farm.

On his 1,800 acres of private and County-owned land, last year Jules harvested a whopping 250,000 pounds of pinto beans which were thereafter sorted, cleaned, and dried. We are so grateful to Jules and Van Thuyne Family Farms for bringing these pinto beans to EFAA’s food bank for our participants to enjoy, thanks to a partnership with Boulder County Public Health.

While beans are an excellent choice for everyone to incorporate into their diet, they are a beloved staple of cooking for Latino cultures. At EFAA, Latinos comprise over 50% of our participants. In an effort to have a more welcoming and inclusive food bank, EFAA has been actively working to expand the availability of culturally relevant foods, such as dried chiles, masa, and tamale husks.

Thank you to Jules, Van Thuyne Family Farms, and Boulder County Public Health for your commitment to keeping our community fed, healthy, and thriving!