This is a small collection of edible pod, edible seed, forage and plough down crops (as well as decorative!). Some are good for generally one of these uses (like winged pea’s edible pods), others (like Vicia faba) can be used for all four purposes. All legumes are good at replenishing nitrogen in the soil but the first five (not including winged pea) crops listed here are specifically grown for fixing nitrogen. In order to do so, the green plant material needs to be worked into the soil. We have larger quantities of some older seed of a few of these crops and would be willing to sell it at a bulk price.
This variety came to us from Spain. It is said to be best as a fresh baby fava, with sweet and tender seeds. Plants are relatively short, about 1m in height, 4-6 medium sized seeds per pod.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaAnnie Steffan’s has small blond seeds and is used for eating fresh or dry.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaCambridge Scarlet (1778) has red flowers and bright green seeds, small to medium in size.
OUT OF STOCK FOR 2019
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaBelgian Red-Flowered has red flowers and bright green seeds, small to medium in size. This sample came to us from Peter Bauwens of “De Nieuwe Tuin”. Heads up, website is in Dutch, but browse anyway and check out their amazing photographs!
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaAztec Yellow is an early producer of short pods containing one to three large seeds. The seed coats are light yellow and the seeds are yellow right through. Try substituting these for chickpeas in a hummus-like spread/dip.
OUT OF STOCK FOR 2019
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / Vicia5B’S Choice is a very long podded fava from Full Circle seeds where they say: “Selected for size and number of beans per pod for 80 years, first by David Barton and then by Peter Robin, who passed them on to our farm.”
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaRed Epicure has chestnut red seeds and claims to taste somewhat like chestnuts.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaCopper Fava is late maturing with medium-sized deep copper seeds. Pods are upright containing 1 to 3 seeds, in bunches of 2 to 4 pods per cluster.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaMB5 Red is a good producer of small to medium dusky red seeds.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaSanuki Kotsuba is a Japanese cultivar with small mahogany red seeds.
OUT OF STOCK FOR 2018
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaBlack Fava has solid black navy bean sized seeds. The short upright pods are borne in clusters on medium height plants.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaBlack Russian fava is a fairly early producer of medium seeds, solid black with some purplish highlights. Seed came to us from a Belgian collector.
OUT OF STOCK FOR 2019
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaBell is a small seeded fava that is fall seeded for a cover crop in areas where the winters are mild. Cook the seeds fresh or dried.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaOrion is a field fava bred by Agriculture Canada from an initial cross in 1975. This is a short, very early, cultivar with small round to oblong seeds.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaSnowbird is a recent cultivar of a small-seeded field fava as early as Orion. It is usually grown to be a protein supplement in animal feed. Its pure white flowers and blond seeds indicate that it is tannin-free, which makes the seed more digestible.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaCoffee Bean was sent to Jim from the Prince Albert area with the information that the small seeds were roasted and used as a coffee substitute. Seeds are tan, heavily mottled with black.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaMartock is a village in Somerset which has given its name to the oldest broad bean cultivar in England, where records of it go back to the 12th century. The upright pods are in clusters and usually contain 2-4 small, almost round tan seeds, like modern field favas. In medieval times, Martock beans were usually dried and then subsequently used in soups, stews and gruels, the mainstay of the medieval peasants’ winter diet. Jim grew two samples of this fava which proved to be different so we are offering them both, under the names they came with. Martoc is the shorter and earlier of the two with the typical white flowers with a black dot in the centre.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaMartock is a village in Somerset which has given its name to the oldest broad bean cultivar in England, where records of it go back to the 12th century. The upright pods are in clusters and usually contain 2-4 small, almost round tan seeds, like modern field favas. In medieval times, Martock beans were usually dried and then subsequently used in soups, stews and gruels, the mainstay of the medieval peasants’ winter diet. Jim grew two samples of this fava which proved to be different so we are offering them both, under the names they came with. Martock is later and taller and better yielding. Its flowers have additional pale purple streaks across the white petals.
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaRachelle spent a couple of months in Ilumán, Ecuador a few years ago and brought some favas from the local market. Ilumán has large elongated pale green seeds, usually with 1-3 seeds per pod.
OUT OF STOCK FOR 2019
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / ViciaRachelle spent a couple of months in Ilumán, Ecuador a few years ago and brought some favas from the local market. Small Ilumán has pods in clusters of 3 or 4. There are 1-4 small to medium blond seeds per pod.
OUT OF STOCK FOR 2019
Beans / Favas (Broad Beans) / Other Pulse/Legume Crops / Vicia