AC

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Most days, the first part of Mike Leach's workday is spent knee-deep in a field of garbanzo beans. He and his wife, Sharon, refer to this as going "over the hill," but it's actually a bit more dangerous than that. It's a downhill trek that's best done in a slightly sideways maneuver, keeping one foot angled in front of the other. The dirt gives under any amount of weight and the burrs that hide beneath the plants are unforgiving to socks and skin. Leach recommends light hiking boots for this route to his office, and he isn't wrong. Halfway down the hill, he reaches down and grabs a stem, pops a tan pod off the plant and cracks it open. "Hummus is a relatively recent food fad in America," says Leach, as he bites down on the garbanzo bean and throws the shell over his shoulder. It has been a hot, dry summer, making the top layer of soil even more arid than usual. Here, they call this region the Palouse. Everywhere else, they just call it Eastern Washington. It's...