Summerfelt Beans

While I was in Idaho visiting my parents, I helped shell Summerfelt beans. They area a dry bean and are great used in place of navy beans in soup. The Summerfelt bean is from Germany, going back to 1800. Summerfelt is also the last name of one of my ancestor lines, who are also from Germany. There is no connection between the beans and my family that I know of, but it is fun to grow them just the same.

I brought some of the beans home and poured them into a container. I was amazed to see how the beans lined up! It almost looks like a row of corn on the cob--I have never seen such a thing!