It’s the festival of Lammas (mid point between summer solstice and autumn equinox), the moon is swelling to full again and harvest of the dried beans is just starting.
Beautiful purple speckled Kebarika are a Kenyan developed variety, where they apparently do well in heat and with limited water. I sowed the seed, obtained from Victory Seeds in Oregon, in mid April.
The white Henderson’s Baby Bush Lima beans are originally from Peru but my seed came from what was on offer at the feed store down the road. I would have like an heirloom but the online heirloom and rare seed vendors I use were sold out during my planting window in early May.
Since I probably cook and consume a cup of dried beans every week, to be self sufficient in beans, I would need to be growing a lot more than I am harvesting this season.
On the other hand many of the pueblos produce dried beans as a cash crop. I can thus source locally grown, organic dried beans and support native communities as well.
It is very rewarding, however, to see my winter pantry beginning to fill up.
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