Growing Heirloom Beans, by Helen Gable

This last summer we "grew out" several types of heirloom dry beans.  These are all beans with a reputation for tastiness, but which aren't grown by industrial agriculture and so are in danger of being lost. 
 
This year we started with just a few (6 or 8) seeds of these varieties.  In each case those few seeds became enough to pass on to others at a seed swap, or to grow for a community meal in 2016.

Here are some of our recovered orphans:
 
Kwintus--a Romano-type pole bean, resembling other varieties we have grown recently like Hulda

Kwintus

Peregion--the only native northwest bean, very small and early. They are a low bush bean, very prolific.  (Hey, this is the climate they are adapted to thrive in!)

Peregion

On the plate of dry beans, Peregion beans are at 1:00, Monachine at 3:00, Judiones (from a previous blog) at 6:00, Goosebeans at 7:00 and Cranberry at 11:00. ​

Cranberry or Tongue of Flame--about the size of pinto beans, but richer in flavor and prettier while growing.  They are also a bush bean which we tucked into corners of the Keyhole.

Goosebeans

Goosebeans--resemble Cranberry, but are larger and grow on long trellised vines.

Monachine

Monachine--a legendary Italian bean which was treasured by a local wine-growing family and only recently shared with the outside world. ​