2015 Little Easy Bean Network - Old Beans Should Never Die !

[baymule]

@baymule, Ok Then. What else can I say. Stuff happens. I'll scratch that variety off the list. Wasn't the best growing year here either for gardeners. Farmers here had nice corn and soybeans, but their crops are alot tougher.

Let me know if you want any beans from me for next year right now. You are one of a couple of growers that can plant earlier because of your longer growing seasnon.

Yes, I would like to participate. Just don't send me any last of this variety seed..... I have pigs in the garden that will go to slaughter the first of April. That will give me a couple of weeks to get it all smoothed out and ready to plant. But really, they aren't rooting as bad as I thought they would. We are going to route a water line to the garden and I will put in a yoke for irrigation system. That and a deep mulch oughta do the trick for when the dry killer heat comes. AAAAnd I'll have the whole garden rabbit proofed by then too. Got any organic sprays for grasshoppers?

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hi @baymule,

That was where we were still at with this African Collection this year. It was still the last of the variety seed. You want me to pick out something for you? If yes how many varieties would you like to try to grow?

 

[baymule]

Russ, you pick what you want me to grow. I'll take 3 varieties. I have a feeling that garden 2016 is going to be a winner.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hi Bay,

I think you might be right about 2016. We may have gotten some of the excessiveness in the weather out of the way for awhile until the next round of strangeness in the weather comes along.

Outside of the terrific California drought I think Texas had the most crazy swing in weather this year. It went from extreme drought to extreme wet. Then back to extreme drought again and then back to extreme wet again. All in about 6 months.

Ok, I'll send you three varieties sometime soon.

 

[baymule]

Yeah, we went from burn bans to floods in less than 24 hours.

 

[journey11]

Flipping through the new SSE catalog today, I was excited to see a pole bean on page 7 originating from Mason Co., WV where I live now and on page 8, a lima bean from the next little town over from where I grew up. I haven't gotten through the whole catalog yet. Who knows what other WV treasures I may find. But mostly I am delighted to hear that folks near me are still growing and saving their family seeds!

I've often thought before that it would be fun to advertise in the newspaper or something to try to start up a local seed saving club or swap. I am still wanting to start a seed library here in the future, but this past year was not the best time for me to take on a new project. I think I ought to take the Master Gardeners course first to get my foot in the door and do some of the necessary networking.

Have any of you guys had opportunity to connect with other seed savers in your local area?

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hi @journey11,

I ran into two of my counties Master Gardeners at the Seed Savers Exchange Campout/Conference this past July in Decorah, Iowa at Heritage Farm. They asked me if I would do a talk for the Master Gardeners meeting next May. I am going to try to put on a Power Point presentation and talk about my colletion and seed saving of beans at our Farm Bureau. I will also go over some of the historic beans in my collection and beans that I have a personal connection to.

I hope you are able to start a seed library and hope that the varieties of beans you have acquired through the Little Easy Bean Network will become part of your library.

I think you should do some advertising in your local newspaper. The response might be very surprising. You might find some local vegetable varieties that are in need of attention.

Out of all the varieties that were available to farmers and gardeners at the beginning of the 20th century, 95% of them have disappeared and are gone forever. No telling what wonderful vareities disappeared along with potential valuable genetic material they contained. The old varieties that still remain are truely a gift and treasure from the past.
They all deserve their life unless we wind up living in a world of weeds.

 

[VA_LongBean]

When will SSE send reminders for 2016 membership? I got a request for donations last month, but I don't think it's quite the same thing. I really, REALLY want the hard copy catalog.

 

[Blue-Jay]

Hi @VA_LongBean,

Do you remember when you signed up for your membership? That is when it comes due again. Mine is in June. You might want to see if you can contact someone at SSE and find out when your current membership lapses.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I like the hard copy of the yearbook also, as there are listings in the printed copy that are not in the online version.