2021 Little Easy Bean Network - Bean Lovers Come Discover Something New !

[flowerbug]

...
In my gardens, I've only had one cowpea cross (between two yardlong beans) since 2005. Don't know if that is because cowpeas don't cross easily, or if it is because my Northern bees don't know what cowpeas are.

they needed some sweet tea!

Only one plant appeared crossed on the end of the row, and when I saved & planted only the seed from the opposite end, there was no further evidence of crossing. Take that as reassurance that your project is doable.

never hurts to try if that is all you have to work with.

 

[Zeedman]

Thanks @flowerbug

There’s a story behind why I’m asking, but it’s a long one. I have some cowpea seed headed my way that were crossed. The peas are very rare and were grown by a man from the 1920’s until somewhere around 1965 in this area. I grew up in this area during 70’s/80’s. I can’t find anyone from there that grows them anymore. It’s a very small community with maybe 200 people. It’s just sentimental on my part.

There may be an easier alternative, since "Holstein" is often cited as being synonymous with "Polecat". More research needed; but if true, "Holstein" is available & would be much easier than trying to purify crossed seed. Still trying to trace back to the original source too, or anyone who might have obtained seed from them.

 

[HmooseK]

I’ve never grown them. I just really hate it when varieties go the way of the caveman

 

[Blue-Jay]

Bluejay77's Big Bean Show
Day 19 - The Beans I Grew This Summer​

Little Brown Cat - Semi Runner Dry

Another one of my top producing beans in 2021. An 8 foot section of row produced almost 28 ounces of beans (785 grams). Beans are about the size of a navy bean. Plants will climb about 4 feet. Much more productive if given a support to climb on. The last time I grew them was 2018 and I grew them on the ground like a bush bean. A named variety from the late Robert Lobitz of Paynesville, Minnesota. Robert stated in the 1999 yearbook that the bean was from a Black Turtle x Pinto mix sent to me from SSE member Ron Thuma of Kansas.

Long Prairie Red Eye - Bush Dry

A segregation of one of the Robert Lobitz legacy beans that I have been working with since 2015. This is the second year in a row this bean has not produced any segregations of it's own. Beans are a little bit larger than a pinto bean. Named after Long Prairie, Minnesota.


Little Brown Cat.........................................................Long Prairie Red Eye


Madelia - Bush Snap

A great find in 2019 of one of Robert Lobitz's beans from a grower in Willich, Germany. Since Robert's passing I have never seen the bean listed by anyone here in the U.S. The seeds look exactly like one of Robert's other beans Alice Sunshine but larger seed. Round podded green snaps 5 to 6 inches (12-15cm) long on large plants. Robert introduced this bean in the Seed Savers Exchange yearbook in 2004.

Maine Sunset - Bush Dry

The name of this variety would suggest it's origin. Also my original source for seed was from a teacher in Waldosboro, Maine who teaches a horticultural class to high school students. He also runs a heirloom seed project with the students. This project is the oldest high school seed saving project in the nation started in 1991.

Madelia................................................................................Maine Sunset

​

 

[HmooseK]

There may be an easier alternative, since "Holstein" is often cited as being synonymous with "Polecat". More research needed; but if true, "Holstein" is available & would be much easier than trying to purify crossed seed. Still trying to trace back to the original source too, or anyone who might have obtained seed from them.

After some research, it seems Calico Crowder was also called polecat once upon a time.

 

[flowerbug]

Bluejay77's Big Bean Show
Day 19 - The Beans I Grew This Summer​

Little Brown Cat - Semi Runner Dry

Another one of my top producing beans in 2021. An 8 foot section of row produced almost 28 ounces of beans (785 grams). Beans are about the size of a navy bean. Plants will climb about 4 feet. Much more productive if given a support to climb on. The last time I grew them was 2018 and I grew them on the ground like a bush bean. A named variety from the late Robert Lobitz of Paynesville, Minnesota. Robert stated in the 1999 yearbook that the bean was from a Black Turtle x Pinto mix sent to me from SSE member Ron Thuma of Kansas.

Long Prairie Red Eye - Bush Dry

A segregation of one of the Robert Lobitz legacy beans that I have been working with since 2015. This is the second year in a row this bean has not produced any segregations of it's own. Beans are a little bit larger than a pinto bean. Named after Long Prairie, Minnesota.

View attachment 45654View attachment 45656
Little Brown Cat.........................................................Long Prairie Red Eye


Madelia - Bush Snap

A great find in 2019 of one of Robert Lobitz's beans from a grower in Willich, Germany. Since Robert's passing I have never seen the bean listed by anyone here in the U.S. The seeds look exactly like one of Robert's other beans Alice Sunshine but larger seed. Round podded green snaps 5 to 6 inches (12-15cm) long on large plants. Robert introduced this bean in the Seed Savers Exchange yearbook in 2004.

Maine Sunset - Bush Dry

The name of this variety would suggest it's origin. Also my original source for seed was from a teacher in Waldosboro, Maine who teaches a horticultural class to high school students. He also runs a heirloom seed project with the students. This project is the oldest high school seed saving project in the nation started in 1991.

View attachment 45657View attachment 45658Madelia................................................................................Maine Sunset

​

Maine Sunset looks a lot like Monteville so of course i wonder if they're related and if so who came first.

 

[HmooseK]

@Bluejay77

It sure looks as though you had a great season of bean grow outs! Do you do all that work by yourself?

Also, Do you do an end of year progress report on the network beans? I was just curious how many participants and how many bean varieties were grown. One of the beans I was curious about was “Africa.” Did anyone grow it?

 

[Blue-Jay]

It sure looks as though you had a great season of bean grow outs! Do you do all that work by yourself?

Also, Do you do an end of year progress report on the network beans? I was just curious how many participants and how many bean varieties were grown. One of the beans I was curious about was “Africa.” Did anyone grow it?

I am not sure what bean you are referring to when you name "Africa". Which one is that? I do all the growing, care taking, harvesting, shelling, sorting, and finally preparing the beans for the freezer myself. I have a little over 4,000 square feet of bean growing ground.

The only problem area this year with my grow outs was my pole beans. Most of them never grew. The soil in my pole bean bed was very dry and very warm. Watering it didn't even seem to temper the heat that was built up by a drought we have had going since the end of February and this drought here still continues. I had a couple of the grow outs pole beans produce some seed. 2022 will be mostly a repeat grow out of the pole beans that I planted this year.

A couple of times I did count up the number of Network participants. That was over 5 years ago. I haven't done it since and never reported it here on this thread. Also never figured how many varieties the Network growers grew in a season. I think this year is probably the record breaker as far as number of varieties grown. The best I can figure is there were 39 growers for 2021. I think some years it get close to 45. There are growers who have asked to be part of the Network grow outs and some of them request up to a dozen varieties but you never hear from them again.

I can report that Imbotyi Imswi and Kim's Italian were sent to a grower in 2020 and I've never heard back from that grower. Those two varieties are gone now from this collection. They had the only sample that was here. I'll eventually check on some more of the entires on the Network pages that are marked "All Seed Is Out To Grower"

 

[HmooseK]

@Bluejay77

On your first post where you listed beans.

Africa - Only 13 seeds left



I was hoping someone attempted a grow out.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Africa - Only 13 seeds left

Hmmmm still don't know which bean you are referring too. I have to bean varieties with Africa in the name African Cave and African Premier.