Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Phil Bunch" <pbunch@cox.net>]

Thanks Paul.

We are not thinking about selling them. They would be for family consumption
and perhaps some trading with other folks in the area. I'm trying to figure
how much area I want to devote to them. My wife prefers them as shelly beans
so it looks like we may be doing succession plantings.  

-----Original Message-----
From: livingontheland-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:livingontheland-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
TradingPostPaul
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 5:02 PM
To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Dry Bean Yield


Field beans are planted closely at some optimal spacing in conventional row
farming. They aren't planted in rows 18 inches apart as with some crops. So
there isn't any space/yield gain with beds per se. Raised beds could be
justified in case of waterlogged ground for drainage. However - growing in
permanent beds that aren't compacted by tires or feet can be no-till and
gain in organic matter content to increase yields. Ecology Action may have
some results on grains and beans grown biointensive. Sustainably grown
beans are better but the price of those industrially farmed dry beans is so
low there's not much profit in it. 

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 12/31/2007 at 4:35 PM Phil Bunch wrote:

>So what kind of yield from dry beans could one expect from raised beds?
>There is a type of horticultural bean (wrens egg type) called the
>cargamanto
>that is a staple in our area. It's a vine type that does well in cool
>climates. Personally I think it's the best tasting bean grown but then
>again
>I'm partial.
>
>I have seen some yields for other dry beans of between 1600 and 2000 kilos
>per hectare. I think this comes out to around 300 lbs per acre on the low
>end. These studies were done with row cultivation. 
>
>Anyway I'd like to get some ballpark yield information for bed grown
beans.
>
>Thanks,
>Phil
>
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