* Just acquired 4 acres in the country to continue fava research.
(An answer to prayer) Spring will come soon ,I hope. I have the seeds to plant and hopefully energy to get the job done. There will even be room for guests to come and learn about the favas: how to grow , harvest , and use them.. I hope to be able to meet some of you in person and take you thru a new fava patch and share what we have learned over the past year.

Things are moving slowly...one van load at a time. Our old place is up for sale. Pray for a buyer soon. Much to do...bought an old tractor & attachments (hopefully dad can get it started & point me in the right direction so I can "put-put" around and get it plowed and disked and ready to plant.) Any farmers out there that need a retreat for a few days to help get land ready? I am a mattock person....not crazy about equipment. All of my gardens for the past 10 years were hand -dug! Anyway, most of the seeds have been delivered and are anxious to get in the soil during March (if the land dries out so it can be worked) I've started gathering "stick-fencing "...people are pruning trees right now. I do a very old-timey fence ! It is hard to be in 2 places and with so much that needs accomplished soon...for the favas like cool weather. Will keep you posted.

Update on our progress. My dad is amazing at 84 years old...he has never worked with tractors ( only slowly rode around a field at my brother's place in Ohio pulling a hay wagon a couple of times) Well, he figured out how to hook up the plow (after taking off a boom and then putting it back on again...we waisted a bit of time and muscle getting it all together properly. Then he was off to plow for the first time in his life. And he did a great job , too! The ground was perfect on Monday (not too wet or dry) and the soil is wonderful for planting the beans...Aunt Bean is really excited now! We made 4 foot beds (long rows) with about 3 to 4 foot grass walking areas in between. Disking, I am afraid , will not be as easy and a rough ride and I hope to find someone with experience to do that. I have sprouted 3 favas and one mucuna so far and will try a little hydophonic experiment with them this week. Time to make cold frames / hot beds to start some plants ...like mucuna / some herbs/ and vegies. Favas can be planted in March,(directly into the garden) much to do & time racing on...will keep you posted.

Today we used the champion juicer and juiced the last of 2009 fava pods that were frozen and made l-dopa bean chips. I have purchased an excaliber dehydrator, which we are trying out for the first time. Hoping it does as good a job as they advertize. Next week, hope to sprout 2 cups of favas --Goya brand.(..none of my seeds that will be planted)I want to try dehydrating half, and juicing the other half to make l-dopa cookies. We made cookies with pod juice before and they were wonderful. If the spout cookies work out well, and supply a boost...I will include a recipee in the next fava report. Goya dried favas are sold in packages at alot of grocery stores...nice to have something that will sprout that is readily available. If any of you have taken the g6pd blood test and have normal enzyme levels to utilize them...try sprouting a few and just start out with one sprout when you have symptoms. No reaction, try two the next day....that is what this little guinee pig does. As with any meds, start low and build up slowly to the desired result is attained. It's snowing, but the sun is shining brightly....keep your spirits up...spring will come again and new life will emerge. It is a great time to sprout something indoors and watch it grow! GO GREEN !

Well, the moving is going slow, but we are getting small things out to the farm a little at a time. A physics professor at a nearby college (that has PD) is also a farmer familiar with tractors..was kind enough to come out Monday and help put the disk on the tractor and help dad learn more about it's operation. He got some of it disked up and almost ready to plant. I was hoping to have some bean seeds planted by this time, but we are getting closer at least. We may have our first PD Suport Group meeting at the farm in June.
I am hoping we can have an easy square dance and live music. Also, a bon-fire ...with singing and perhaps kosher hot dogs and marshmellows etc. Everytime we go out I get more excited about the place and what we can learn there.

did you need to innoculate them with rhizobia bacteria?
legumes need the rhizobia for nitrogen fixation otherwise you need to add nitrogen if not enough in the soil.

Aunt Bean
Thanks for keeping us informed.
I like t he support group idea - because I live close enough to attend! You are really into this fava bean thing, aren't you? Don't let me forget to tell you about a local researcher that we need to pay a visit. I believe he might be interested in your prooject.
Peggy

No, I do not inoculate my seeds...the favas have been extreemely hardy. The Windsors that I ordered from Fedco Seeds last year had about 99% germination! Are you going to try to grow some?

Yes, Peg ..enjoy being near you & hope to see you at the meeting Tuesday.Anyone you can put me in contact with that will advance the research will be extremely appreciated.

no, i have no plans, no interest even though i do plant a large veg. garden. rhizobia innoculation is quite common, has nothing to do with germination.