Post by George's Administrator Hat on Nov 27, 2013 10:58:40 GMT -6
www.heirlooms.org/
This is a great group out of Kentucky. Probably, this is the best place to find varieties of old fashioned beans. Sustainable Mountain Agriculture specializes in Appalachian heirlooms. But that doesn't necessarily mean that a given variety was discovered in the Appalachians. Many were carried to other regions by people who relocated to other parts of the country. Think about it, Kentucky and the surrounding states used to be Cherokee territory. The Cherokee have been moved all over the place now. It is certain that they carried some of their seeds with them. But almost all of these old beans from Kentucky and parts of the Southeast were once either Cherokee or from one of the other civilized tribes.
Some Appalachian varieties grow very well in Oklahoma. Some fail due to our extreme summer heat. Those which do well are WONDERFUL.
A word of warning: bean varieties are addictive. It's oh so easy to accumulate more than one can maintain. The good news is, that there is nothing wrong about supporting groups like this by purchasing seed from them and trialing varieties.
Be sure to read Bill Best's write up about the value of the old fashioned string beans. He calls them "full beans," meaning that normally they are allowed to fill out seed in the pod before being strung and cooked. This provides a very different eating experience than regular snap beans which most people know.
This is a great group out of Kentucky. Probably, this is the best place to find varieties of old fashioned beans. Sustainable Mountain Agriculture specializes in Appalachian heirlooms. But that doesn't necessarily mean that a given variety was discovered in the Appalachians. Many were carried to other regions by people who relocated to other parts of the country. Think about it, Kentucky and the surrounding states used to be Cherokee territory. The Cherokee have been moved all over the place now. It is certain that they carried some of their seeds with them. But almost all of these old beans from Kentucky and parts of the Southeast were once either Cherokee or from one of the other civilized tribes.
Some Appalachian varieties grow very well in Oklahoma. Some fail due to our extreme summer heat. Those which do well are WONDERFUL.
A word of warning: bean varieties are addictive. It's oh so easy to accumulate more than one can maintain. The good news is, that there is nothing wrong about supporting groups like this by purchasing seed from them and trialing varieties.
Be sure to read Bill Best's write up about the value of the old fashioned string beans. He calls them "full beans," meaning that normally they are allowed to fill out seed in the pod before being strung and cooked. This provides a very different eating experience than regular snap beans which most people know.