Steeves Case Knife Bean

I am very excited to introduce this rare variety that I obtained from Jan Steeves-Cuvelier last winter. This bean originated in Albert County, New Brunswick and was grown by three generations of the Steeves Family since the early 1930’s at their home in Surrey, Albert County, New Brunswick. The house which came to be called Surrey House, was bought by Jan’s grandfather, Cedric Steeves, who fully restored it with the help of his wife, his sister and her husband. They continued to grow these beans in the back garden on metal frames until the death of Cedric in 1972, at which time the metal frames went to Jan’s fathers house in Cap Brule on the Northumberland Strait. Jan’s father continued to grow these beans on the same metal frames until 1994 when he passed away. Jan then inherited a bag of the Steeves Case knife Beans and put them aside until recently. The beans were 10 years old and not stored in optimum conditions but luckily the beans still germinated after all those years and I was given some to plant last summer. They grew beautifully and produced enough beans so I can now offer them to my customers. Jan remembers going up into the attic at Surrey House in the fall of 1964 to see the crop of beans drying. "There was newspaper all over the floor and beans spread over in their cases (none touching!) all over the whole attic." The Steeves family would then have a huge family gathering to have a feast of dried beans and pork. An interesting fact is that "the beans are reconstituted cases and all and cooked with pork for hours". The Steeves family loved these gatherings and the delicious beans that were served. An excellent early maturing variety that I am happy to be able to preserve.

"A HERITAGE HARVEST SEED EXCLUSIVE"

Pole

100 days for dry beans

25 seeds per packet.