Tino Muñoz of Rio Del Rey farm in Valley Center loads freshly harvested beans into a machine that removes stems and rocks. The farm sells heirloom beans to restaurants and specialty markets.
Continued from Page 10 Beans
Rio Zapes and created a hybrid. They planted the seeds and got identical beans the next year and have been growing them ever since. “We did a tasting with 15 of some of the top chefs in San Diego County, and 13 out of 15 voted that bean No. 1,” Reeske said. While deeply committed to organic heir- loom bean revival, Reeske said the pursuit has its challenges. About 90% of heirloom beans have bean common mosaic virus, which inhibits pho- tosynthesis, leading to small yields and, therefore, higher prices for consumers. The process is also labor-intensive. People, not machines, do the soil prepa- ration, fertilizing, laying of drip irrigation and planting in the spring. In the late summer, they hand-harvest the partially dried beans with sickles and throw them into piles to finish drying. Because each bean variety matures at a different rate, harvesting must be done intermittently from about mid-August to late September. Then there are relentless weeds. Last year, Reeske lost about 80% of his typical crop because he couldn’t find enough workers for this task, forcing him to tem- porarily halt online bean sales. Besides selling packaged beans to spe- cialty markets and other online customers, Reeske does his own deliveries to restau- rants rather than hiring a distributor. “I decided it was more fun for me to go and meet the chefs,” he said. Reeske is working to create farm tours and other educational opportunities for the public to get more people to eat beans more often, emphasizing they are an eco- nomical, sustainable source of protein, with numerous health benefits. “For instance, I’m a Type 2 diabetic, and after I started eating beans three times a week, I gave up one of my meds because beans stabilize blood sugar,” he said. “I also want to educate people that all beans don’t taste the same, and there’s a
(Linda DuBois is assistant editor of California Bountiful, where this article first appeared in the January/February 2024 issue. She may be contacted at ldubois@ californiabountiful.com.)
whole variety of flavors you can experi- ence,” he added. Summing up his passion, Reeske said, “I guess I’m like the Johnny Appleseed of beans.”
with Rio Del Rey for beans he uses in a new venture cooking for farm dinners and special events. He said Reeske’s heirloom dried beans have much better flavors and textures than typical store-bought varieties. “Some stay firm, and some get very creamy. Some are sweeter than others, and some have rich notes of chocolate,” Guardado said of the beans. “The flavor profile is very nuanced. But the cool thing is, when you put them all together, they make a very good, flavorful broth.” He noted that some people who attend his special dinners “don’t eat beans ever,” which is why he often prepares a bean- soup appetizer to get them to “try just a couple of bites and maybe change their opinion and then add them to their diet.” Beans were an important staple of Guardado’s Mexican heritage. As much as he enjoys eating them, the chef likes cook- ing with them even more, incorporating them into entrées, side dishes and appe- tizers. His two favorites are cowboy beans and dirty rice with roasted vegetables. Guardado initiates discussions with dinner and special event customers on his culture’s Alta California cuisine and the farmer who grows his beans. The varieties grown at Rio Del Rey farm include two lima-type beans, about sev- en common pinto-type beans and five high-protein tepary beans. “Tepary beans grow from one rainfall in the desert in poor soil and high tempera- tures,” Reeske said, adding the legumes show promise as a sustainable protein source in a hotter, drier climate. The Reeskes also developed a new variety of common bean—Anazape. About five years ago, out of 800 pounds of their Anasazi beans, they discovered about 25 unusual-looking seeds. Even though it’s rare for beans to cross-pollinate, the Reeskes surmised from the beans’ appearance that bees brought pollen from a nearby field of
yf&r farmpac Clay shoot Fundraiser
Benefiting the Fund to Protect the Family Farm (FarmPAC ® )
Saturday June 15 2024 Raahauge’s Hunting and Sporting Clays 25835 County Road 8, Dunnigan, CA 95937
Registration Open $100 per person $450 for a team of 5 includes traps and lunch Limited to 100 shooters
sponsorship opportunities available
For more information and to register, visit www.cfbf.com/farmpac. Contributions or gifts to FarmPAC are not tax-deductible. Paid for by California Farm Bureau Federation Fund to Protect the Family Farm (FarmPAC ® ).
May 1, 2024 Ag Alert 11
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