PPIC visits this year

PPIC Welcomed Representative Betty McCollum’s Office

We were pleased to host staff from U.S. Representative Betty McCollum’s Office at the Plant Protein Innovation Center.

Representative McCollum has been a strong advocate for sustainable agriculture and food innovation. Her support for initiatives like the PLANT Act, which expands USDA programs to include plant-based food producers and researchers, reflects a commitment to building resilient food systems and supporting farmers growing ingredients like pulses, legumes, and mushrooms.

At PPIC, we’re contributing to this vision by advancing plant protein research across the value chain through interdisciplinary research and industry collaboration. Thank you to Representative McCollum’s team for your thoughtful engagement and continued support of agricultural progress.

PPIC Welcomed Senator Tina Smith’s Office

The PPIC team had the pleasure of hosting staff from Senator Tina Smith’s Office for a visit to the Plant Protein Innovation Center. The visit was a valuable opportunity to showcase PPIC's role in advancing plant protein research through science-driven innovation and strong industry partnerships. Senator Smith has been a vocal advocate for agricultural resilience, public research, and soil health—priorities that go hand-in hand with PPIC's mission to develop sustainable, nutritious plant-based food solutions.

Thank you to Senator Smith’s team for your thoughtful engagement and commitment to the future of food and agriculture.

US Dry Bean Council visit

We had the pleasure of hosting Tim Welsh and Jenny Gemao from the US Dry Bean Council - Southeast Asia, along with company representatives from India and Pakistan dry bean packagers, retailers, and food processors, to highlight the US pulses industry and showcase PPIC. Thank you to all of our speakers for their engaging and informative presentations: PPIC's Executive Board members JoAnne Berkenkamp (MBOLD) and Jason Robinson (AURI) as well as Chelsea Didinger (A Legume a Day Founder & US Dry Bean Council Global Nutritional Specialist) and Yuxi Weng (CHS, Inc.).

 

It was an energizing day of knowledge-sharing and collaboration, focused on driving growth and innovation across the global pulse value chain. We’re grateful to everyone who joined us and look forward to building on the momentum from this meaningful exchange.

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MBOLD's Bold Growth International Cohort visit

Here at the Plant Protein Innovation Center (PPIC), we thrive on collaboration and connecting with innovators and organizations across the alternative protein ecosystem.
Recently, we had the pleasure of welcoming MBOLD’s Bold Growth International Cohort to our center — Three Farmers Foods, who are reimagining snacking with Saskatchewan-grown pulses, and Prairie Fava, leaders in fava bean innovation and sustainability. We love their dedication to creating healthy, sustainable food solutions!

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Kyomei visit

We also had the opportunity to host Kyomei, whose mission is to improve existing agricultural systems using their novel biotechnology to offer lower cost and scalable avenues for functional and specialty food ingredient production. It was exciting to connect with another team dedicated to innovative and sustainable solutions.

These visits are not just tours, they are conversations that spark ideas, build relationships, and move our shared mission forward. Thank you to all our visitors for your engaging conversations, and commitment to transforming the future of food.