Tales of 2 Beans

Yesterday, I presented on "Fall Garden Harvest" to a Support Group for Visually Impaired Individuals in Kirksville. Early that Morning, Richard and Melanie helped me prepare Baskets and Buckets of Roots, Herbs, Flowers, Indian Corn and Beans from the 3 Sisters Garden, Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers and Grasses. Each item of Produce was selected to appeal to the Senses: Smell, Taste, Touch, Sound.

When I left the Farm, I was loaded. In fact, I looked like I was on the way to manage a small stall at a Farmers' Market. I really had fun on this special day.


I just brought Plants and Produce that wanted to come to these Eager Learners, gave some introductory comments, and then watched the Participants take off into their own Story Land. I think the Participants had even more Fun as I did. Gee, did they have Stories to share. Sometimes I had difficulties getting them to stop. I just smiled.

I started out by telling them that just like every Human, Plants and Seeds have their own Stories. I passed out Dried Pods of Edible Beans. I asked if they knew what those crackling things were. Some didn't. Others knew right away. Then Bonnie and I cracked open the Pods and gave each Participant 2 different Beans.

I asked them to describe the Beans. #1: Plump ("like me", one of them laughed), not as slick, almost square with rounded edges, lighter in color. I added that the color around the edge was a purply maroon. The remaining areas in the middle were creamy white. The areas where the colors connected with each other were lightly covered transitions of fine dots. #2: Shiny, slick to the feel, small, long, not very wide, dark ("Is it black or blue?" those with sight of Color asked.).

I asked them to place the 1st Bean in their hands and just hold it. Then I told them the Story that I knew of this Bean. That 1st Bean is "Mayflower Bean". The predecessor to this Bean was brought on the Mayflower to the Plimoth Plantation in 1620. In fact, those Pilgrims would have been on their way in that Ship on this date in 1620. Somewhere on board, the predecessor to that Seed was tucked on board.

Historically, when People came from long distances, especially to Lands of the Unknown, a fairly common practice was to bring Seeds. That simple practice could very well mean their Survival. Plus those Seeds represented the "trusted" and the "familiar". We have a sense of the importance of this Bean to the Mayflower Passengers almost 4 Centuries ago.

At my instruction, the Participants in my little Workshop then took the 2nd Bean and placed it in their hands. I told them that this Bean was the "Cherokee Trail of Tears Bean". It was reported to have been taken by the Cherokee People on their forced march in the 1838 from their homelands in the southeastern part of what we now know as the United States to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. That march took place under severe hardship. Many of the People died: the very young, the very old and those inbetween. The People carried those things important to them. And today we have that Bean in our hands.

For generations before and generations after, People took care to preserve these Beans. Otherwise, they would not be in our hands at this moment. We can easily see that Humans then, and up until now, chose to keep this Bean. The consequences of their actions meant that we would have this Bean today.

I wonder what actions we are or should be involved in that will insure that certain cherished things are gifted to Generations that follow. Being Present on the Land and Gardening Skills would be right up there.


One of the Participants asked where he could get Heirloom Seeds. Our favorite sources are: Seed Savers Exchange, Seeds of Change, and Baker Creek Seeds. We originally got these 2 Seeds from Seed Savers Exchange.


The telling of this story would not be complete without a reference to the Hands in these Pictures. They happen to be 2 People with whom I am blessed to share my Life and this Farm. And they happen to be descendants of the Mayflower and of the northern Cherokee People.