Every couple of weeks Mulberry Mayor Gary Baxter hops in his truck and travels 60 or so round-trip miles to shop at the Fort Smith Sam’s Club.
There Baxter purchases bulk quantities of Imperial Brand edamame, the soybean variety produced in nearby River Valley fields, then processed at a plant in his town’s growing industrial park.
Considering how much time and effort Baxter puts into spreading the word about edamame and its health benefits, it’s somewhat surprising (and a little bit of a shame) that the guy is still having to pick up and pay for his supply.
This does affirm for us that Baxter’s edamame and money are where his mouth is.
Baxter has been a vocal and willing advocate for the specialty soybean since American Vegetable Soybean and Edamame Inc. opened its Mulberry plant in July 2012. The company and Mulberry, thanks to Baxter’s efforts, have garnered statewide and national attention, including a nearly 4-minute feature spot on CBS This Morning earlier this year.
National exposure is rare for a town like Mulberry, which has a population of less than 1,500. Shoot, even local exposure is rare for a town that’s perhaps best known as being the midway point between the Ozark and Alma exits on Interstate 40.
Baxter understands that Mulberry is often an afterthought, which is why he continues to push for recognition for the town and its signature product. It’s why he traveled earlier this month to Little Rock so he could hand deliver state legislators packages of “Cruncha Ma-Me,” a snack made of dried edamame beans.
Mulberry is home to the only edamame processing plant in the United States, and Baxter is doing what he can to spread the word.
American Vegetable Soybean and Edamame Inc. selected Mulberry in part because of Baxter’s interest and willingness to accommodate the family-owned business.Easy access to I-40 makes Mulberry an ideal location, and farmland in the River Valley provides perfect growing conditions for edamame.
A willingness to accommodate industry and easy access to shipping lanes could do wonders for Mulberry, Baxter figures. He’s hopeful that the success of American Vegetable Soybean and Edamame Inc. will encourage other businesses to join the town’s other manufacturers, like a prefabricated concrete operation that specializes in septic tanks and storm shelters in the Mulberry industrial park.
Business has gone well so far and the vegetable company, a subsidiary of JYC International of Houston, has increased its workforce by50 percent since the plant opened less than two years ago. A 20,000-square-foot expansion is planned at the factory, which should create jobs for another 40-50 workers and increase packaging capability for a product that recently began shipping worldwide.
A majority of edamame consumed in the U.S. is manufactured in Asia. Mulberry, Ark., is now providing edamame for Asian countries, a fact the town’s mayor takes great pride in sharing.
Baxter is hopeful that one day people will speak of Arkansas edamame the way they talk about Idaho potatoes or Washington apples.
At the very least, Baxter wants Mulberry known statewide in the same way Alma has its spinach, Bradley County has its tomatoes, Atkins has its pickles, and Cave City and Hope have their watermelons.
As most of us Arkansans know, a local product recognized statewide must have a local festival to go with it. So, of course, Baxter has been hard at work organizing an edamame festival in Mulberry.
Those efforts will come to fruition Saturday with the Mulberry Edamame Festival. Scheduled for seven hours at the city park, the event will feature pretty much what you’d expect from a local festival: helicopter rides, a beauty pageant, bands.
Naturally, the star of the show will be well-represented with an assortment of edamame products available to festival-goers.
When we chatted recently Baxter said he had no real idea what sort of crowd to expect. It’s the first crack at a local festival. Alma’s Spinach Fest organizers are offering their expertise, but Baxter is keeping expectations somewhat low.
Baxter just wants locals to have an opportunity to celebrate Mulberry’s biggest export as it continues to grow. And if the event helps persuade just one more local to make that 30-minute drive for bulk packages of edamame, then the day was a success for the unofficial ambassador of edamame.
If you have a tip, call Chris Bahn at (479) 365-2972 or email him at [email protected]
Business, Pages 73 on 03/23/2014