Heirloom Seeds & Poultry
1878 230th Street, Calamus, IA 52729
(563) 246-2299
beans
(291 varieties to choose from) We continued to work on increasing the inherited collection of beans from Tom Knoche and as you will see have added a few and increased some others to hopefully add next year. We are slowly making a dent in the frozen seed collection. We will never have all of them in large quantities but will keep working to spread them around.
Plant as soon as frost is past in rows 3 feet apart with plants 3 inches apart for best yields. Packet contains 1 oz. unless otherwise indicated. Snap beans are used for what people typically call green beans and when bean seeds are immature. A shell bean is used for the bean seed and not for the pod. There can be green shell beans which you can eat before they are dried. There are dried shell beans that you eat after the pod has dried and the seed has matured. Some of the old fashioned beans can work both ways. You can eat them as a green shell bean (shelling the beans out of the pods while they are still green) or as a dry shell bean (shelling the beans out of the pods after the pods have dried). These can also be used as a green snap bean while the seeds are still in the immature stage. UPDATED FOR 2024 2023 with the long drought didn't let us get them planted soon enough
Bush Snap Beans
(34 varieties to choose from) 2021, 2022 and 2023 were not good years for bush beans, they needed care when there was no time. We will have photos of seeds until we to take photos of the varieties at edible pod stage.
BUSH WAX BEANS
(7 varieties to choose from) Photos of seeds until we get photos of pods at the edible stage. Prices updated for 2024
Pisarecka Zlutoluske
Pisarecka Zlutoluske- 48 days- Super early and very productive on small plants. Pods are round oval, 6 to 7 inches long and a nice shade of yellow. Seeds are very colorful mottled tannish burnt orange with white streaks, 6 to 7 seeds per pod. Very limited supply . Pkt( 20-25 seeds) $3.50 Limit 1 Certified Organic seed UNAVAILABLE FOR 2024
BUSH PURPLE PODDED BEANS
(8 varieties to choose from) We are showing seeds until we can get pictures taken in the field of the beans at edible stage. Updated for 2024
Regal Improved
Regal Improved- 52 days- thick sprawling but not climbing vines that produce an abundance of purple with some green streaks. Seed color is slightly variable. We selected this one out of Regal Salad as it has larger plants and somewhat more productive. 1 oz. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
Regal Salad
Regal Salad- 55 days- Large, sprawling bush. Purple pods in various shades. Very productive and tasty as well. A more slender version of Royalty Purple Pod. One of the tastiest beans we grow. A 2019 Master Gardener class tour on September 28 from a July 6 planting voted this bean the tops of all seen for yield, appearance and flavor when raw. Developed by Dr. Meader. Dr. Meader was a famous plant breeder from the 1950's onward. He worked on early , productive and multipurpose crops. 1 oz Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed UNAVAILABLE IN 2024
Roberts Royalty
Royalty Purple Pod- 53 days- Good yields, turn from purple to vibrant green when cooked. Very good taste. This is one fo the easiest beans to grow and tell when it is still tender and in prime edible condition They are also easy to see when harvesting and fun for children to learn garden skills. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2024
Royalty Purple Pod
Royalty Purple Pod- 53 days- Good yields, turn from purple to vibrant green when cooked. Very good taste. This is one of the easiest beans to grow and tell when it is still tender and in prime edible condition They are also easy to see when harvesting and fun for children to learn garden skills. 1 oz. Pkt. $1.75
pole snap beans
(43 varieties to choose from) Pictures of seeds will be replaced with edible pod stage as they become available. Updated for 2023.
Alabama #1
Alabama #1- 75 days- Black seeded, disease resistant, purple streak on green pods. This bean has a unique trait where it will produce a crop, let them begin to ripen, and while they are ripening, continue to produce more and more beans for fresh eating. Developed in 1963 in Auburn University in Alabama. Pkt. ( 25 seeds) $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
Alabama #1- USDA
Alabama #1 USDA- 75 days- Black seeded, disease resistant, purple streak on green pods. This bean has a unique trait where it will produce a crop, let them begin to ripen, and while they are ripening, continue to produce more and more beans for fresh eating. Developed in 1963 in Auburn University in Alabama. This is seed stock forma fresh sample that Darrel Jones obtianed that has fewer off types Pkt. ( 25 seeds) $3.00
Annelino Verde (Green Annelino)
Annelino Verde (Green Annelino) - 80 days - A unique, Italian bean that has short, very curved pods. Good yields and very unique both in shape and flavor. Must be picked young before strings develop. Extremely difficult to extract the seed from the pod - hence the higher price. 1 oz. Pkt. $2.75 Certified Organic Seed
Barnes Mountain
Barnes Mountain - 70 days - This one caught me off guard for its vigor and ability to handle drought and poor soil. Lack of ideal spots to plant, it got planted in nearly straight sand had minimal water and still grew like crazy. Produces an abundance of nice, round, green podded beans that were 6 plus inches long. This is a white seeded type with a history dating back to Kentucky.
Pkt. 25 seeds $2.50 Certified Organic Seed SOLD OUT AS OF FEBRUARY 15 2024
Berrier Girls
Berrier Girls - 68 days- Vining old fashioned slightly string green bean. Seeds are streaked dark brown on pale lavender tan. Bert Berrier was one of the early bean collectors in the Seed Savers Exchange. At one time he had many hundreds of beans. 1 oz. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
Cherokee Little Cornfield
Cherokee Little Cornfield- 75 days- Tom Knoche loved to collect cornfield beans and varieties from the Cherokee. This is a huge mixture of colors and sizes of seeds, very attractive in the jar. This is a dual purpose bean as would most Native American types would be. 1 oz. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
Connecticut Wonder
Connecticut Wonder- 75 days- a large nearly flat green podded meaty bean with good vine strength. Probably should be in the romano group but it is an amazing bean. Planted in 2019 on July 6 by the middle of September it was nearly breaking down the bean fence with heavy pods. It is not very seedy and pods are variable from a light green to a lemon yellow. Pkt. ( 25 seeds) $2.50 Certified Organic Seed UNAVAILABLE IN 2024
Fortex
Fortex- 70 days- Long, French stringless filet type bean. Dark colored seeds. While we will continue to offer this as it is so popular, I do sincerely feel guilty as it does not do well here in this part of Iowa. Of the over 400 varieties of beans that we grow, it is the one that constantly succumbs to insects, shows lack of vigor when climbing, vines break off in the wind, and numerous other issues. I have babied it, provided extra fertilizer, you name it. Still it will rank last in yield to all the beans we grow each year. 1 oz. Pkt. $3.00
Fortex Cross
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Fortex Cross - 70 days - A cross from Darrel Jones that is higher yielding and hardier than the regular Fortex. Seeds are multi-colored, bean pods are both green and purple. Tolerates a range of temperatures and still bears well. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed UNAVAILABLE FOR 2024
Sicitalian Black Swamp
Sicitalian Black Swamp- 80 days - This is an interesting bean because the seeds are nearly round. It produces good flavored beans for green snaps that are especially good frozen and then thawed and cooked. This bean is well adapted to northern tier states, but is also productive in the deep south. Pkt. 1 oz. $2.75 Certified Organic Seed
Pole Romano Beans
10 varieties to choose from) As pictures become available will change seeds with edible pod stage. Updated for 2023.
Aunt Mary’s Meat
Aunt Mary’s Meat - 80 days - A truly unique bean shared with us from Ron and Nancy Hendrickson. A most impressive size and the flavor is great. The widest, thickest pods of any Romano bean I have seen. Large, dark black seeds that add a good flavor to the cooked beans. Issue that makes this not a large scale bean is a rare genetic defect where the seeds tend to split open while ripening, making the germination difficult if not planted in very warm soil. When planted in a good, warm soil germination is great. Please do not plant too early. UNAVAILABLE FOR 2024
Virginia Brown
Virginia Brown - 63 days- another super high yielding, early flat romano type bean from the collection of Tom Knoche. He originally obtained this from an Appalachian seed swap. I don't have small hands ( in fact XL gloves barely fit, some XL do not) and you can see how large the pods get . Not as productive as the white seeded version. 1 oz. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
Virginia White
Virginia White - 63 days- another super high yielding, early flat romano type bean from the collection of Tom Knoche. He originally obtained this from an Appalachian seed swap. I don't have small hands ( in fact XL gloves barely fit, some XL do not) and you can see how large the pods get . 1 oz. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
Pole Wax Beans
5 varieties to choose from) Pictures of seeds will be replaced with edible stage as they become available. Updated for 2024.
Neckar Mix
Neckar Mix - 65 days- this bean has long been a favorite of mine. Yields are fabulous. Plants are vigorous with bright gold oval pods . A white seeded type from Europe. There are goofs and then there are goofs. Neckargold and Neckarkonigin seeds got mixed so it will be a few years before we can segregate them out. This will provide you mix a of green and wax beans, Pkt. 1 oz. $ 2.50 Certified Organic Seed
purple podded pole
(8 varieties to choose from) Pictures of seeds will be replaced with photos of edible stage as they become available. Updated for 2024
Escambia Purple
Escambia Purple- 83 days- a truly different purple podded bean with black seeds. This was sent to us by Robert Smiley in Alabama and the plants are almost reddish-purple when growing and then there are an abundance of purple pods. Excellent flavor and tender when young but develops strings as they age. 1 oz $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
Greasy/Cutshort Beans
( 25 varieties to chose from)
This is a special grouping of beans that are for the most part all very heavy yielding pole beans with short fat pods borne in clusters. While they are some of the highest yielding types we have they are not for everyone. The flavor is fantastic but the occasional strings bother some. While we encourage everyone to try a few, we recommend start small and expand as your taste buds expand. This group was my late friend Tom’s favorite beans for fresh eating. They are more popular in the Appalachian region of the country.Pictures of seeds will be replaced with photos of edible pod stage as they become available.
Black Greasy
Black Greasy- 65 days- Slightly variable, but productive, rich flavor, deep shiny black seeds. Pods have a purplish cast on deep green. This variety is known for its tendency to produce numerous off types. When my friend Tom selected this he selected it from a white greasy bean and it has never seemed to totally stabilize. 1 oz. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
Tennessee Greasy
Tennessee Greasy- 70 days- A true mix. I tried for over 10 years to segregate this. I’ve concluded that it is a true mixture. Seeds are various colors as well as having pods of various shapes and textures. Beans can be used both in the green snap stage and dried for soup. Ornamental and colorful. 1 oz. Pkt. $3.00 Certified Organic Seed
Runner Beans
Phaseolus coccineus
(6 varieties to choose from) Pictures of seeds will be replaced with flowers and pods as they become available . Updated for 2024
ORIENTAL SNAP
These are the same species as cowpeas but produce a tender tasty long snap bean.
Black Seeded Yardlong
Black Seeded Yardlong- 80 days- a high yielding asparagus bean type that is not the same as the others. Obtained from a local family here in Calamus that came from seed brought from China. Plants are early producers and continuous production throughout the season. Some beans easily get over 2 feet long and are still edible. Pkt. ( 25 seeds) $3.00 Certified Organic Seed.S