Got the first Shackamaxon 'green' beans off of the set I had planted on the pea fence. None of the same variety on the vertical fence are producing yet - but some are flowering. The wax beans are a bit further along but nothing ready to pick.
Some musing on Native American varieties, after reading several articles today. For a while I've said that I am drawn to eating the orange squash and beans and - for me - oatmeal together..although in the traditional three sisters it is corn - which we also grow and eat, but not in the same quantities. Nutritional scientists have been doing a lot of research on diabetes that involves testing the 'three sisters' regular inclusion in the diet vs the traditional 'Western' diet that only has these as occasional foods. They are finding some reduction in the native populations that return to the 'traditional' diet. Understandably, it is only natural that they would be healthier with these foods instead of sugar and white bread only etc... but It is really interesting to see the research and a resurgence of native tribes 'taking back' their seeds and growing them out for their heritage farms and generations to come. I certainly do worry about my mother's diabetes, and our family's heritage that seems to be leaning towards it. I actually like and feel naturally drawn to these foods - so it is also only natural to be growing them and keeping the heritage seeds in our own garden (which have more nutrition than store varieties).
In our actual garden we have Cherokee trail of tears black seeded wax beans, the Shackamaxon (which are a Delaware tribe bean originally, and were preserved by Pennsylvania Dutch settlers), the Mayflower bean which probably was from the Colorado river tribes, the Mandan Bride corn and several varieties of sunflowers. We don't have any traditional winter squash planted this year - started some pumpkin seeds but not sure if they are going to germinate...
notes : Diophantes
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