Roots and All - Gardening Podcast Episode 176: Beans, beans good for…the planet!
This week, I’m talking to Susan Young, author of the book ‘Growing Beans’. As I’ve looked further into having a sustainable diet, into growing and storing crops and into sources of plant protein, beans just seemed to tick every box, but I needed to know more. So Susan’s book ‘Growing Beans’ is exactly what I’ve been looking for, because it covers growing, harvesting and storing beans and it argues a very convincing case for a fact that many people the world over have known for centuries; that beans are good not only for you but for the planet, because they’re such a resilient, easy to grow, low carbon footprint crop.
Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Tobacco whitefly
What we cover
What makes beans such a good crop to grow, in terms of their eco credentials?
The beans we commonly grow here in the UK
Beans to grow for their green pods, as fresh green beans, half dried and drying
Bean nutritional needs
Overwintering tubers of runner bean plants
Drying beans in a UK climate
Bean toxicity
Storing different types of beans
Easy beans to grow
Beans for taste and aesthetics
Preparing and cooking beans
About ‘Growing Beans: a diet for healthy people and planet' by Susan Young
Susan's new book brings together 10 years of experimentation with multiple varieties of beans. She clearly explains how to sow, grow, harvest, dry, store and cook them, and shares her six ‘must grow’ varieties.
Beans are easy to grow and cook, help build healthy soil in the garden, and also provide a nutrient-rich diet, helping to reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer – they are good sources of protein, fibre, folate, iron and potassium. Plus, they can reduce your carbon footprint and food miles as well!
Links
'Growing Beans: a diet for healthy people and planet' by Susan Young