2025 Little Easy Bean Network - Growers Of The Future Will Be Glad We Saved

[Blue-Jay]

As we begin our thirteenth year. I think of all the wonderful bean varieties and varieties of everything humans usually grow for themselves. All that we are blessed with today. How marvelous it is that we can experience them. I think if most of what we have today was if not saved in the past, to be past on into the future, who is us today. What a sad and maybe boring experience today’s growers might have. Even a possible threat to our food security. We would have probably would eventually found out what was missing. There are people who document in books with color drawings or photographs varieties that exist at those present moments in time. When I look at the publication called “Beans Of New York. I don’t see most of those varieties in circulation. Most of them have never passed through my hands. I don’t see listings for them in the Seed Savers yearbook or in posts on Facebook groups. Could these varieties have been renamed and are still around. Maybe, but I think not likely. I hope all growers of heirloom and old varieties today will feel responsible for what we collectively have taken on to grow and to posses.

It is one of my greatest hopes that all the varieties that have been passed on to growers through this bean network. Will be stewarded if not for the rest of their lives, will be passed on to others to grow and steward them. Just as we joy in all that we have today. The growers of the future will be glad we saved.


Some of the bean on this list I don't know if they are pole, bush or semi runner. The Dana Manchester beans were collected I believe somewhere in Africa. I will probably write to Dana and ask if he knows the growth habit. Most of the rest of them are likely pole beans.

Come to think of it I do know just about which one are pole beans. I'll mark them.


Priority List for 2025

Big John - Pole, I think this is an Appalachian bean
Black Cherry - Simcox collected - Pole
Bobis D’ Albanga
Brown Eyed Bobby - Bush Snap
Canario GMSX 3 - UC Of Cal at Davis - semi runner
Canario Gmsx 6 - UC Of Cal at Davis - semi runner
Coal Camp - Pole Appalachian bean
Cold Creek - Bush Dry
College Early - Bush Snap Australia
Dick Harrell - Pole Appalachina
Four Corners Red + UC of Cal at Davis - semi runner
Frauenbohne - Bush Dry
Grand Mere - Simcox collected - pole snap
Joe Bean - Pole
King City Pink - bush
Krupke - pole
Lewis County Fall - Pole Appalachian bean
Mestia Svaneti - Simcox collected - Pole
Mores Konegin - Pole
Mufuba Chai - Dana Manchester
Mulwanyi - 13 - Dana Manchester
Nambale - 15 - Dana Manchester
Njano This might be - Simcox collected
Ottis Stewart
Pink Fog - Simcox collected - Semi runner
John’s Best - Bush Snap
Purgatorio - Pole snap Italian
Red Head - Bush Dry
Rio Zape - UC at Davis - Semi Runner
Robert Hazelwood
Rognon De Cog
Rose
Rosey’s Red - Bush Dry
Sequoia
Southwest Gold - UC of Cal at Davis Probably Semi Runner
Southwest Red - UC of Cal at Davis Probably Semi Runner
Striped Double Hull Fall
Sunrise – UC at Davis - UC of Cal at Davis Probably Semi Runner
Tanzanian Grey - Simcox collected
Tiger’s Eye – UC of Cal at Davis
Tyra
Yellow - Dana Manchester
Krupke

 

[flowerbug]

woohoo!

there's a repeat of Krupke.

Ottis Stuart i did grow out for you in 2019, but as a pole bean i don't wish to repeat a growout of them. same for any other pole beans or semi-runners. i'm trying to limit my beans to bush habit as much as possible.

if you do not know the growth habit i don't want to risk it.

do you have any beans you need regrown that are bush beans?

i do have a small return on Andikove beans to send to you but i'm not going to send a package for just a few seeds. i am also not going to try to grow it again this coming season. it just doesn't produce enough reliably enough for me to devote more space and time to this one. three strikes - i'm done. it doesn't like my gardens. i hope someone else has better luck with it as it is a pretty bean. your notes on Andikove say it was donated in 2019 but then you have added that it was grown out in 2018 and 2023 so either someone time travelled or the 2018 beans are the original donation?

anyways, it sounds like you have plenty of network growers and i'm so glad to hear about and see the results. i've really been enjoying the pictures.

 

[jbrobin09]

I wish everyone a fantastic growing season in 2025, health and happiness!

 

[heirloomgal]

Ooooo-weee! The 2025 bean thread & the new list of priority beans!

So, it looks like the post office situation really is starting to get back to normal @Blue-Jay. Some of the seed companies have said they will resume shipping orders Jan 1st as a date of return, and here we are! I have everything packed up in envelopes, they just need to be sealed up in the box. I think by Friday the first box will be on the way, and the following week I will send #2.

 

[ruralmamma]

Just sent my requests for this year and am giddy with excitement! Excited that some of my previous choices are on the priority list too!

 

[Decoy1]

Good to see you’re quick off the blocks for the new year’s bean growing! Happy New 2025.

I have grown Bobis d’Albenga this season and have seeds, so I can grow it again next season and send to you if I get a good crop. It is definitely bush. I also have Grand-mère, as does Triffid who I received it from. Slightly different spelling but perhaps the same bean? Smallish reddish seeds. A good pole grower. I can grow this one again too. I also received Robert Hazelwood from Triffid. It’s a semi-runner with attractive frosted seeds and grew well.

I do have seeds of Rio Zape and Rose, both pole beans. But they are both late season unfortunately. I didn’t get viable seeds of Rose at all this last season but will try again, hoping for a better season. I might also try Rio Zape again.

I hope to be able to join in with these few.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I do have seeds of Rio Zape

This Rio Zape is not the standard heirloom Rio Zape but was rebred by the University of California at Davis to be resistant to Mosaic virus. They also increased it's productivity by 20 per cent over it's heirloom parent. So I would like to see this one grown and to have an increase of it's seed.

 

[Triffid]

I also have Grand-mère, as does Triffid who I received it from. Slightly different spelling but perhaps the same bean? Smallish reddish seeds. A good pole grower. I can grow this one again too.

If this is the same one as yours @Blue-Jay then I can certainly send you some for your reserves, and maybe free up some space for @Decoy1 if they want to grow something new. I still have a pint jar of these, must be over 1200 seeds in there from 2021. They've not been in freezer but bone dry in an air-tight container. I'll get them out to do a germination test today.
I've also received a few seeds of Coal Camp from @Artorius that I'm growing this season so you can count me in for those, too, as well as all the battered and bruised varieties from the past two seasons that have yet to make it back home to you thanks to the wretched slimy beasts.

 

[Decoy1]

This Rio Zape is not the standard heirloom Rio Zape but was rebred by the University of California at Davis to be resistant to Mosaic virus. They also increased it's productivity by 20 per cent over it's heirloom parent. So I would like to see this one grown and to have an increase of it's seed.

That sounds like an appealing development - a more productive, resilient Rio Zape. It would be even better if they could shorten the season - but perhaps I was unlucky.