Phaseolus vulgaris , the common bean, grown everywhere except Antarctica, offers great nutritional benefit, whether eaten green or cooked from dried beans. Beans provide protein, fiber, folate, iron, potassium and magnesium, while containing little or no total fat, trans-fat, sodium or cholesterol. Beans have an exceptionally low glycemic index. They moderate blood sugar, not just at the meal we eat, but even hours later or the next day. Dietary Guidelines recommend consuming 3 cups of beans per week to take advantage of potential health benefits including reductions in heart disease, obesity and many types of cancers.(1)

 

To bring us these remarkable benefits, beans have made an incredible journey. In 2012, an important genetic study found P. vulgaris originated in Mesoamerica, suggesting Mexico some 8000 years ago. Spreading south, she traveled with her earlier originating sisters, maize and squash, into Ecuador and Columbia then onto southern Peru and the Andes. In the Andes, a severe bottleneck occurred reducing the genetic diversity of P. vulgaris before domestication. Sometime later, domestication came about separately in the Andes and Mesoamerica, establishing two independent gene pools. In general, Mesoamerican seeds are smaller with one type of seed protein and the Andean seeds are larger with a different kind of protein.(2)

 

What is the importance of identifying the origin of P. vulgaris? Landraces from the origin have the greatest genetic variability and potential breeding opportunities in the future. A landrace is considered a cultivated plant with historical origin and distinct identity, that lacks formal crop improvement, and is often genetically diverse and locally adapted. Traditional landraces and crop wild relatives are both used as genetic resources to improve modern crops. The original P. vulgaris plant was so adaptable as to become part of such climate extremes as the tropical lowlands of Mesoamerica to the Andean highlands. (3)

 

The largest changes exhibited by cultivated beans from their wild ancestors is in their uniformity and consistency. From years of selection, seeds are bigger and less likely to shatter than wild forms making them easier to harvest . (4)

 

Today only a small part of the 40,000 or so bean varieties found in the world's gene banks are grown for mass consumption. Worldwide, the principal products are dry beans (seeds harvested at complete maturity), shell beans (seeds harvested at physiological maturity, i.e. before the desiccation associated with complete maturity sets in), and green or snap beans (pods harvested before the seed development phase).

 

P. vulgaris is part of the legume family, Fabaceae. This family has the ability to fix nitrogen; the ability to pluck an inaccessible form of nitrogen out of the air and create valuable nitrogen compounds accessible to the plant. Nitrogen  is instrumental in photosynthesis and is also a major component of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. The nitrogen fixation process is carried out by symbiotic bacteria called rhizobia that live in nodules on the roots of the plants exchanging nitrogen compounds for carbohydrates and sugars.

Although atmospheric nitrogen (N2), comprises nearly 80% of the air, it is not readily available to plants as food. Today, an a rtificial  nitrogen fixation process requiring high energy and pressure inputs , known as the Haber-Bosch process , is responsible for much of agriculture with the development of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Unfortunately, this process has also led to farm runoff from heavy use of fixed industrial nitrogen that disrupt biological habitats.(5)

 

The common bean is easy to grow and save. Beans like warm weather and germinate best in soils above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. All varieties of bean seeds should be planted one inch deep. Bush beans should be planted 2 to 4 inches apart in rows at least 18 to 24 inches apart. Pole beans should be planted 4 to 6 between rows. Beans have sensitive roots and prefer to be direct seeded. Plant every two to four weeks for a continuous supply into fall.

 

Beans have a shallow root system; keep the plants irrigated and cultivate shallowly to remove weeds. Pole beans need a trellis and bush beans will also appreciate some support. Pole beans give a continuous harvest throughout the season; whereas bush beans tend to come to harvest all at once. When harvesting snap beans, make sure to harvest often to keep up production.

 

If you are saving seeds, add 10 ft and/or a row of pollinator attracting flowers between varieties. P. vulgaris is extremely self-pollinating, meaning that the next generation of beans will look like the parent plant even when grown close to other varieties. Though, there is very little concern about cross-pollination with P. vulgaris, growing different varieties close together can be an issue at harvesting. Many varieties have similar looking seeds and thus may be difficult to separate. Even when seeds look different, extra time will have to be spent in separating those varieties. 

Let the bean pods dry on the vine when you are ready to save your beans for seed. In the case of inclement weather, cut off or pull up the roots and hang the vines up to dry. Most of the leaves on the plant will be dead and the beans will rattle in their pods when they are ready for harvest.

Depending on your harvest, big or small, you can take the beans out of the pods by hand or for a larger volume, thresh them in a pillowcase. Let them dry for a couple of weeks more until the seed is very hard; i.e., no indent when bitten. At that point, store them in an airtight container. Mason jars or other glass containers with good sealing lids are good. Store the beans in a cool, dry spot. Be sure to label the jars with the variety name, common name, scientific name, year harvested, location grown and any other relevant notes, including disease and pest resistance, and resilience to severe weather. The dried bean seeds should be grown out within the next 3 to 5 years.

References 

(1) Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 Eighth Edition

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/ https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-2/a-closer-look-at-current-intakes-and-recommended-shifts/#figure-2-4-desc-toggle

 

(2) Molecular analysis of the parallel domestication of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in Mesoamerica and the Andes. Elena Bitocchi, Roberto Papa +10 authors

http://www.univpm.it/Entra/Engine/RAServ
eFile.php/f/P002700/allegati_doc/New_Phytologist_Bitocchi_et_al-2.pdf

 

(3) Defining and identifying crop landraces. Plant Genet. Villa T. C., Maxted N., Scholten M. A., Ford-Lloyd B. V. (2005).  Res. 3 373-384. 10.1079/PGR200591

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/06f5/fdf0c658c19ef037778ab5655d241e9bcc78.pdf

 

(4) Evolutionary change in agriculture: the past, present and future. Peter H Thrall, James D Bever, and Jeremy J Burdon https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3352499/

 

(5) From fertiliser to Zyklon B: 100 years of the scientific discovery that brought life and death

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/03/fritz-haber-fertiliser-ammonia-centenary

 

We offer strategies that allow farmers to build economic sustainability and end their dependence on unsustainable practices.

" Through my involvement as a farmer with Global Seed Savers and BASS, I have learned the deep importance of seed saving to my organic farming practice. I am honored to be a part of this organization and share this knowledge with my children, this work has changed my life."

 - Cesar Galvey, Organic Farmer and Vice-President of Global Seed Savers Philippines

 

 

I have a deep belief that all of us have some cellular memory of working with seeds. We all had someone in our genetic history who winnowed, threshed, and dipped their hands into a basket or bowl full of seeds. When we work with seed, a connection with our ancient or modern ancestors is activated.  

 

So when I work with youth and seed saving, I trust that is what will get them excited and will engage them. A lecture on cross pollination distances or population size produces yawns, but when they put their hands in a bowl of seeds, the lights come on. The lights come on when they winnow and sift out chaff and in awe see the real seeds emerge.

 

Working with youth in gardens is what I do every day with my job at the Ceres Community Project and I have realized that most of the time I just want them to have the amazing experience of watching a plant emerge and grow. That in of itself will plant a seed that will perhaps sprout as they get older and start thinking about their own food and where it comes from.

 

I approach seed saving the same way, we grow plants for seed at the Ceres garden and I bring the seed from the Community Seed Exchange garden over for the youth to process but there is not much teaching or explaining, there is just the joy of working with seed.   And I have seen it over and over, young people love working with seed.

 

If you are a teacher, there are so many ways you can insert seed into your curriculum. Whether it is math or social studies, seed can be part of that.   But if we want to create the next generation of seed savers than perhaps all we need to do is give our youth a bowl of seeds to clean.

 

A resource for people working with younger kids was put out by the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center - A Handful of Seeds.

The SeedLibraries.org social network is CLOSED.

The Community Seed Network launched, with social media a'buzz, on May 22nd - World Biodiversity Day. Since then the site has become home to over 160 community seed initiatives (and counting!), from Halifax, Nova Scotia to San Diego, California, and from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories to St. Petersburg, Florida! A quick browse of the site's map shows seeds swaps, backyard gardening groups, seed banks, and so many seed libraries! Dozens of people and organizations have identified themselves as potential mentors to those who may have questions about how to save seed or how to start their own seed initiative. You can easily identify these folks by searching the map for mentors.

The site's map is a great place to start exploring community seed initiatives near you, and across the continent. You can "sign up" from the site's home page and create a profile in just 5 minutes. From there you have options to read, download and use the site's many "how to" resources (on the "learn" pages) check out the seed exchange (on the "share" pages), and even join the CSN Facebook group. The FB group is a fantastic way for CSN members to have great conversations, share resources and ideas, and post their local events and promotions! Why not sign up today?

Review by Joy Lynn King

Hall Middle School Public Librarian, Larkspur, CA, USA

Just slightly larger than a seed packet, Paul Fleischman's novel  Seedfolks produces the heartwarming story of a diverse community coming together as they transform an ugly, empty lot into a vibrant community garden and gathering place.  On a Sunday morning in April young Kim plants six lima beans in a vacant lot in Cleveland as a way to connect to the father she never knew. "I would show him that I could raise plants, as he had. I would show him that I was his daughter."

The story is told through thirteen different narrators, each one a part of the neighborhood and the garden. Each one with his or her own story of immigration and connection to the land. The characters overcome stereotypes and racial bias as they share their stories and work alongside their neighbors in the garden. 

First published twenty years ago,  Seedfolks continues to be read and loved by students, adults, and teachers. In addition to being taught in schools, the novel has often been a Community Read or a One Book program in communities. The novel provides a glimpse into the lives of many cultures and the hopes and dreams we have in common.

In June, all greenery, planned and unplanned, happily takes advantage of summer weather to explode in height, width, and color. Everything grows so fast that after staying away from a garden for a day, it's impossible to return to the exact same place. And so, June marks an important month of weeding - that persistent task that follows gardeners through the length of the growing season. ( Editor's note: Southern hemisphere seedizens, Hudson Valley Seed Company is located in the Northern Hemisphere. We understand that many of you are experiencing winter instead of summer at the moment.)

On our farm, we strive to attain a weeding rhythm, with the key now being to simply "maintain." After all our beds are prepared and planted, we use upright tools on a regular basis to simply maintain weedlessness, getting to all the weeds when they are small before they grow big and become a nuisance. Going through the rows on our feet, equipped with a hoe or a wheel hoe, makes for faster and easier work for us, and in turn, makes growing a faster and easier task for our plants. Now, although weeding is still a part of our everyday schedule, it does not feel like the most exhausting and time-consuming gardening chore.

Aside from quickly occupying any available piece of bare ground and making it harder to harvest (or even see) the veggies, weeds compete with your plants for water, nutrients, and light. Weeds also create habitats for bugs and critters, causing potential pest problems and increasing the chance of disease. To avoid these problems, we've put together a few suggestions for efficient and successful weeding:

1. Relax, and stay on top of weeds. Weed by hand first, then maintain with tools. The former can be done in any weather, the latter only on a dry day. Find the right rhythm for you and your garden: perhaps spending 10 minutes weeding every day is all that you need in order to maintain clean rows of happy vegetables. Don't forget to relax too - weeding is a meditative process ...... If you go on vacation, you'll come back to hand weeding and that's okay. It's even okay to have a few weeds here and there, as long as they aren't hurting your plants. But do try not to let them flower or set seed to prevent them from spreading. If they are faster than you and you run out of time to pull them all, just pinch or chop off the flower heads or seed pods of mature weeds to buy yourself a little time before they bloom again. If you fall behind, pick your battles by prioritizing weeding the plants that seem most stressed by weed pressure.

2. Find the right tools. The plethora of available weeding instruments is easy evidence of the importance of this task in home gardening. On our farm, our most popular weeding tools:

3. Know that weeds love bare soil. Mulching and planting cover crops are two effective ways to cover the soil and reduce uninvited plants. Also, be sure to keep pathways between plants weed-free, otherwise, the weeds will quickly jump from the cramped pathway to the spacious bare soil of your beds. Straw, woodchips and is a great pathway cover

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