You Reap What You Sow - Part 1

Seeds are amazing.  One tiny grain of corn can produce thousands of grains.  All you need is soil, water and sunshine.  Putting a seed in the ground, watching it sprout, bloom and grow is facinating and very entertaining.

Each year we plant the same vegetables.  Corn, green beans, okra, tomatoes, pepper and peas.  Usually in that order.  We also plant some pumpkin, watermelon, squash and cucumber just for fun.  By the way, we have never eaten a watermelon grown in our garden.  But, EVERY year we plant some. Recently, Tony has been experimenting with heirloom green beans and we have had mixed results.  Seeds that you buy at most farm supply stores are mass produced. Companies grow the plants strictly for the seed.  These plants are not grown for their taste, they are grown because they produce the most seeds.  Sometimes these plants have been genetically altered; but, that's another issue altogether.

Heirloom seeds are saved at the end of the harvest from plants that you grow year after year.  Many years back the only seeds you had for next year are the ones you save this year.  Every year we grow crowder peas, which I love.  The seed we use have been grown by Tony's family for over 100 years!  When his mother moved from Yonah to White County as a young girl, she rememers her daddy holding the seeds while they traveled.  When you grow all you eat, seeds are valuable.

So, Tony is looking for the perfect white half runner green bean.  He has bought several variety and has even searched the internet for the perfect bean.  A few years ago he bought some from Sustainable Mountain Agricluture at http://www.heirlooms.org/.  We've planted Anna Robe, Non-Tough white half runner and Nickell.  But, it is the NT that Granny likes.  A long pod with a small bean inside, very tender and not many strings.  Last year after the beans started to dry on the vine Granny saved the seed.