2022 Little Easy Bean Network - We Are Beans Without Borders

[heirloomgal]

@Bluejay77 is Cranberry Fleider the same as Forelle Fleiderfarben? (not sure if the spelling on that is correct). I was going to try and grow some FF from my old seed stash if I can get some to sprout, which I think I can. If it's the same I can send you some from my grow out this year if I succeed. I'm also thinking of trying again this summer with Lilascheke if you want any of those too. These European ones are a bit of a stretch for me for a DTM, but now that I'm off and running with transplants I'm more confident I can do it.

Also, when do you like to receive requests from your network growers? I can't recall when I contacted you last year.

And lastly, HOORAY!!! A new year a new bunch of beanzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[meadow]

@pauldaoust, I thought I'd carry the Beefy Resilient Grex discussion over here to the 2022 thread.

Thank you so much for the taste-test results! Carol Deppe mentions that she soaks Beefy Resilient Grex for 24 hours to allow all of the beans to swell. I wonder if that lessens the variable texture issue?

I hope you get well soon.

 

[meadow]

And lastly, HOORAY!!! A new year a new bunch of beanzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can SO relate!!

 

[Blue-Jay]

@Bluejay77
I'd love to grow Hidatsa Shield Figure, Ruth Bible, Cranberry Flieder and Tuvagliedda Rossa for you. I have my own seeds. This will be my emergency contribution to this year's LEBN if the beans that I wrote about in a private message did not reach me on time.

Did that package in your personal message ever get to you? I haven't sent the Coon bean you paid for either. After you told me the EU changed rules on packages coming into Europe I didn't want to risk loosing our Coon bean.

You can use your own seed if you like. Then I will send out the seed I have to someone else if they request to grow these specific beans. I will need to scan and email you the yellow/green label so you can print it out. I'm assuming you have a printer with your system. Do you want me to make up all the other seed labels plus inventory package list or can you do that?

 

[Blue-Jay]

Just FYI, I maintain Aeron Purple Star & currently have 10 ounces of seed; but have to hold seed back to fill SSE exchanges. How much seed would you need, @Bluejay77 ?

It saddens me to see that none of the SSE members I previously sent Aeron Purple Star are re-offering seed this year.

I think 20 seeds would be enough. I know what you mean about SSE members not listing varieties you send them. I find that with my listing too. It's especially important if you donate a variety to SSE and there is less record of a variety being stewarded. The less listings in the yearbook the less of a record a variety has of bening grown. Those varieties could be in danger of being deaccessioned. My Red Turtle bean which I stablized and was donated to SSE in the early 1980's and which over the years was listed in SSE yearbooks by 9 other members was deaccessioned by SSE. I did get all the seed stocks of the bean they had.

 

[Blue-Jay]

In the meantime, what does a Canadian need to know? Is there a limit on seeds, either incoming or outgoing?

And lastly, which of these are drying beans and which are snap? We do eat a lot of both; I just don't want to accidentally request snaps only!

I have never put a limit on number of varieties someone can request to grow. Sometimes I get a new grower and they request a ton of varieties and wind up being one of the best growers I've ever seen and return everything they had success with. I have others that request lots of varieties and I never hear from them again and when I email them and they never respond.

As for snap beans on the Priority List that I can be very sure of that would be Fox Family Greasy, and the Kjoto. Suppossedly the Aeron Purple star will make a snap bean also. The rest I believe are all dry beans.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Sorry to hear you got waylaid @Bluejay77 and glad you're back! Sounds like you do a lot of traveling in pursuit of new and exciting beans.

Sometimes in my travels I will get someone to trade something new at the seed swaps, but mostly people just purchase beans from me. In 2020 I think I got about 4 varieties just given to me at the Central Indiana Seed Swap.

This winter I am only going to attend one more seed swap in Pikeville, Kentucky the first Saturday in April. All the other seed swaps canceled out.

 

[Triffid]

@pauldaoust I agree that BRG has a certain depth of flavour that is unique to stewed meat. They're totally delicious.

Ruth Bible and Striped Bunch have edible pods. I would assume that Ilene, being an Appalachian heirloom, is also a snap, and that any with 'greasy' in the title are tender.

 

[flowerbug]

Santa Maria Pinquito is a dry bean. ::eyes 2 bags from Rancho Gordo:: Someone may have had the brilliant idea of sampling beans from Rancho Gordo before trying to grow them.

eta: woops! Meant to also say that normally there are pictures and descriptions of Network beans on Bluejay's site, but a bunch of these are missing.

if Rancho Gordo has them in bulk at least we know they're not too likely to be endangered.

and i have to put in a plug for growing local soup bean mixes if you can get any from the store. to just start out and get used to growing beans without knowing what you're doing at first it is a good way to get some exposure and feel for things without investing a ton of $. i considered it my first large diversity infusion even if later on i don't grow those specific beans very often.

 

[capsicumguy]

Thank you so much for the taste-test results! Carol Deppe mentions that she soaks Beefy Resilient Grex for 24 hours to allow all of the beans to swell. I wonder if that lessens the variable texture issue?

Possibly? We usually soak beans for 24h or more, but I may have cheated this time around. I can't remember; gonna blame it on germ brain Anyhow, in spite of the variable texture, I will def grow again. Maybe I'll segregate and see if the textures are more consistent per seed size and colour.

I hope you get well soon.

Thanks! I think I'm already coming out the other side. Feeling rather grateful I caught it post-vax.