2026 Little Easy Bean Network – Plant A Garden, Water Your Soul, Join Our Family

[heirloomgal]

Something I forgot to mention to you as well @Blue-Jay about my shipment to you, which was a surprise. The Zonos App functions like an online customs agent, much like self checkout at the grocery store. So for the most part there are duties to be paid for anything that is shipped which isn't just paper. However in my case I paid absolutely nothing, I declared the contents a 'gift' and kept the value low and that, for whatever reason, made it so there was no customs to be paid at all. So for any of your international shippers, they should know to do that.

My friend who is an SSE member who tried to get a single packet of peas across using Zonos (and it didn't work) did not declare the peas a gift, and had to pay over $10.00 for that one packet in customs. She got that money returned in the end, but it just goes to show that the customs can be quite high if you don't fill the forms in just right. Zonos also did not charge me a processing fee (which they usually do), and I'm guessing that's because there was no customs to pay.

So, just some info for people going through this new system to ship your beans back. Looks like getting the details right is important.

 

[ruralmamma]

So, just some info for people going through this new system to ship your beans back. Looks like getting the details right is important.

I had a little bit of a shock when I was at the post office in town last week. The clerk wouldn't accept a package to be mailed out of the US because the customs label wasn't detailed enough. It simply said toys and candy and the clerk said it must state the specific toy and the specific brand of candy and that simply stating chocolate or gifts was unacceptable. My heart really went out to the elderly gentleman who just wanted to mail gifts to his great granddaughter. Of course this is the same clerk that wants to charge me $5+ for a regular envelope of seeds with some padding. No matter how I spread out the seeds or how flat the envelope is. I have mailed the same envelopes from a smaller post office with no issues other than adding some additional postage.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I had a little bit of a shock when I was at the post office in town last week. The clerk wouldn't accept a package to be mailed out of the US because the customs label wasn't detailed enough. It simply said toys and candy and the clerk said it must state the specific toy and the specific brand of candy and that simply stating chocolate or gifts was unacceptable. My heart really went out to the elderly gentleman who just wanted to mail gifts to his great granddaughter. Of course this is the same clerk that wants to charge me $5+ for a regular envelope of seeds with some padding. No matter how I spread out the seeds or how flat the envelope is. I have mailed the same envelopes from a smaller post office with no issues other than adding some additional postage.

I think it really makes a difference which post office you are dealing with. A particular post office clerk might interpret what is required on customs labels differently. They just simply get picky. Sounds like your smaller post office is the place to go.

 

[heirloomgal]

I went to the post office today with a package of seeds to mail, a small bubble envelope with very light seeds mostly, and she told me $15. I didn't recognize her, and this is my tiny local place where I'm pals with the usual regular daytime lady with years of experience. That did not seem like the right price to me. I politely took my parcel back and said 'oh I need to actually recheck that address', because I wasn't really sure what else to say to get it back. I drove 8 minutes to the next town over where I know there is another postal outlet with fairly experienced people, and it was $2.50. I find it really important to get an experienced person.

 

[heirloomgal]

Little happy story to share. The last 2 weeks have been kind a nuts for me, such a busy bean year so far. I've been feeling like a skier under an avalanche for at least 2 weeks. Elated, but scrambled. One of the requests that came in arrived in a jumble of others. Because all the financial transactions are through email (not the website) I have to make a point to check my inbox for each. Well, an order right in the middle of the avalanche got overlooked. I still don't know how that happened except to say I've been working late nights, feeling tired. And mistakes happen when your not clear headed.

That single order did not get paid for, they just sent it through the website and I didn't catch the missed payment. I packed it all up not realizing and mailed it off yesterday. (It took hours to do it too.) 2 hours after drop off it occurred to me out of the blue - wait a minute - did I check that? I don't even know where the thought came from. It was $200.00 worth of bean seeds! Oh my gosh, what a mistake to make.

There was not much hope really, it had been almost 5 days since she sent it in. I messaged her twice and no response. I was not a happy camper. I rallied the angels to please help out. And then I let it go because you have to, just one of those things. Woke up this morning and found a deposit for the exact amount in the inbox. Wow! Checked - it wasn't her. And then an hour later she sent me a message, and then the funds, even though they were on the way regardless. In the end it all worked out! Needless to say, I have altered my work flow system so that never happens again!

 

[Decoy1]

@Blue-Jay, on your priority list you have a brown seeded bean called Ferrat which your website says is of UK origin. I’m intrigued about what is known and what isn’t known, as you also say growth and usage are unknown. Is there any more information available about the origin of this variety? How is it known that it comes from UK? I can’t find any online info at all. Did your batch come from Joe Simcox?

 

[Blue-Jay]

I went to the post office today with a package of seeds to mail, a small bubble envelope with very light seeds mostly, and she told me $15. I didn't recognize her, and this is my tiny local place where I'm pals with the usual regular daytime lady with years of experience. That did not seem like the right price to me. I politely took my parcel back and said 'oh I need to actually recheck that address', because I wasn't really sure what else to say to get it back. I drove 8 minutes to the next town over where I know there is another postal outlet with fairly experienced people, and it was $2.50.

Sounds like your $15 charge was made up by the clerk taking care of you at the one post office. Here when the postal clerk puts your package on the scale types in the zip code the weight and amount owed comes up on their screen. No way the people here can make up prices if that is what happened to you. Unless an inexperienced person typed in the wrong zipcode at your post office.

Can you purchase postage on a Canada Post website and print out shipping labels after you weigh your packages at home on a digital diet scale? I do here and it's cheaper than going to the retail counter at our post office. Then when I take packages to the post office that I have labeled. I put all my packages on an unused counter and walk out. Someone will eventually scan all the packages barcodes into their system when they have time.

 

[Blue-Jay]

@Blue-Jay, on your priority list you have a brown seeded bean called Ferrat which your website says is of UK origin. I’m intrigued about what is known and what isn’t known, as you also say growth and usage are unknown. Is there any more information available about the origin of this variety? How is it known that it comes from UK? I can’t find any online info at all. Did your batch come from Joe Simcox?

This bean was in a Joseph Simcox collection that I had acquired. I was able to look up the bean by name on a USDA seed bank site and it said origin UK. I think it's on a site when you google Grin Global. There isn't much else about the bean on the site as far as I remember.