Enjoying and Growing Pulses

The year 2016 was nominated as the International Year of Pulses.

We joined the activities by listing recipes on this page along with links to information pages for growing various pulses in the home garden. Check out the recipes and growing information below.

Last year we grew Chickpeas with success and you can see the plant in the banner of this post and photographed below. We will be growing this again this year along with other crops such as beans and peas.

The Importance of Pulses

“Pulse crops such as lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas are a critical part of the general food basket. Pulses are a vital source of plant-based proteins and amino acids for people around the globe and should be eaten as part of a healthy diet to address obesity, as well as to prevent and help manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary conditions and cancer; they are also an important source of plant-based protein for animals.

In addition, pulses are leguminous plants that have nitrogen-fixing properties which can contribute to increasing soil fertility and have a positive impact on the environment.”- Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

The specific objectives of the International Year of Pulses, 2016 were to:

Raise awareness about the important role of pulses in sustainable food production and healthy diets and their contribution to food security and nutrition;
Promote the value and utilization of pulses throughout the food system, their benefits for soil fertility and climate change and for combating malnutrition;
Encourage connections throughout the food chain to further global production of pulses, foster enhanced research, better utilize crop rotations and address the challenges in the trade of pulses.