FoodMasters is now offering pole bean and bush bean seed varieties as part of a local bean growing project.
“These are of the dry bean type, fast maturing and good for soup and other cooked or fermented (miso, etc.) preparations,” say organizers.
There are seven types of pole beans and 16 types of bush beans that have all been grown successfully in Bellingham. The seed was saved last season and purchased in bulk from Krista Rome of the Bellingham’s Backyard Beans and Grains Project.
FoodMasters is offering the bean seeds for sale in “kits” made up of assorted $1 seed packets, which each contain at least 25 seeds.
“Our goal and intention is to get these seeds to people who will grow them to dry seed, thus increasing their own seed supply for future seasons,” organizers said. “Dry beans will keep well for many years in a dry airtight container. We also request that those who have success give back some of the seed to the Orcas Seed Bank this fall. We suggest giving back 50 seeds (less than one ounce) of varieties that mature for you. This will help us build the Seed Bank bean supply.”
For more information on the Orcas Beans Project, contact Learner Limbach at 376-4048 or mbiramaker@gmail.com.
2011 Trial Beans List
Bush Beans:
Kit #1
1. Beka Brown
2. Montezuma Red
3. Ireland Creek Annie
4. Red Hawk Kidney
5. Decker Family
6. Mayo Coba
7. Portugese
16. Red Kidney
17. Six Nations
Kit #2
1. Beka Brown
2. Montezuma Red
3. Ireland Creek Annie
4. Red Hawk Kidney
5. Decker Family
6. Mayo Coba
7. Portugese
13. Ruckle
15. Candy
Kit #3
8. Rockwell
9. Mollases Face
10. Painted Pony
11. Jacobs Gold
12. Brightstone
14. Jacobs Cattle
Pole Beans
Full Kit
1. Robins Egg
2. Cherokee Trail of Tears
3. Ely
4. Volga German Siberian
5. O’Driscoll
6. Saxon
7. Sargas
Small Kit
1. Robins Egg
2. Cherokee Trail of Tears
3. Ely
