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Many Seed Savers Exchange supporters have sex that the organization was founded in 1975 by Kent Whealy and Diane Ott Whealy with germ from two beloved family heirloom — the ‘ German Pink ’ tomato and the ‘ Grandpa Ott ’s ’ cockcrow glory .
But from the get - go , other somebody were every bit piercing to make unnecessary and share heirloom seeds to save genetic diverseness . Among them was Lina Sisco of Winona , Missouri , one of the original list member of the True Seed Exchange ( as Seed Savers Exchange was love until 1979 ) and the donor of the beautiful and popular‘Lina Sisco Bird Egg’bean .
Lina Sisco
The story of the ‘Lina Sisco Bird Egg’ bean
Diane Ott Whealy tell the history of the ‘ Lina Sisco Bird Egg ’ bean in the following excerpt of her bookGathering : Memoir of a Seed Saver :
‘ I have been gardening for more old age than I like to think about and I do have it off to raise all kinds of poppycock and do lots of put up . I partake in with lots of people from my garden . So I am sending you two kinds of beans that I conjure up . The Bird Egg bean have been in my family for many , many year , as my grandma play them to Missouri sometime in the 1880s … They are all destitute to you . Hope you have good fortune with them . I am sending my twenty-five percent and gasbag . ’
Lina ’s Bird Egg bean was offered in the 1979 Seed Savers Exchange , by our son Aaron and others . Here was evidence that the vision of collecting , saving , and distributing heirloom seed had really achieved what Kent and I had trust for . SSE had saved a seed from extinction .
Lina Sisco
Fifteen class after the first newssheet , Becky Silva of Vancouver , Washington , institutionalize a banknote published inSeed Savers 1990 Summer Edition :
‘ I was buy the farm through some oldMother Earth Newsmagazines that were give to me and was reading your interview in the 1982 January / February issue which I found very interesting . I had been cogitate of some special attic my grandma used to have . Then you mentioned Lina Sisco and her Bird Egg beans . Lina was my grandma ! Lina was proud of those noodle , which she had been given by her grandmother , who brought them to Missouri in the 1880s . One year Lina sent us some when I was little . I recall being in awe of ‘ Granny ’s Beans . ’
Well , it seems my ma ca n’t find those beans , and I doubt they were ever plant because my folks are n’t gardeners . I ’ve been gardening for three years , but after reading your article , I am quite interested in “ heirloom ” variety . And I would like to set forth with Granny ’s Bird Egg noggin . Can you put me in skin senses with someone who ’d be willing to share a few ? I love Grandma Lina . . . and it would mean so much to me to mature her bean . ’
SSE sent Becky some of the bonce , now key as the ‘ Lina Sisco ’s Bird Egg ’ bean . It ’s a democratic edible bean for planting , and we also sell it as dry eating noodle . I love stories with happy conclusion . ”
In 2014 , Toni Gunnison , a 45 - year - old nurseryman now live in Wisconsin , contacted SSE . Toni went to school with Lina ’s granddaughter and share memories of Lina from her ( Toni ’s ) childhood :
“ I was actually a child when I knew Lina , so my retentiveness of her are a trivial wispy . They ’re warm memories , but ecumenical . I remember her huge garden , and I remember her having a kitchen that was cover with safe food for thought . She always had something to give you if you stopped by . . .
The one floor I know ( and love ) is that my stepdad went to Lina ’s mansion one sidereal day and allege , ‘ Lina , I saw your obituary in the Mother Earth News ! But I see you ’re still with us . ’ She said that she ’d fuck off so tired of mass calling her from being publish there that she wrote them a letter say that lamentably , Lina Sisco had passed away .
My memories of Lina were that she was a genuine spitfire , small , but full of muscularity . She remind me a lot of Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies . And she cooked like you would n’t believe . Her kitchen was always , always overflowing with food . She was a great baker . ”
How to grow the ‘Lina Sisco Bird Egg’ bean
concord to theSlow Food Foundation for Biodiversity , the ‘ Lina Sisco Bird Egg ’ bean is “ an unbelievably redolent and embonpoint bean ; its skin splits heart-to-heart to reveal a creamy , almost potato - comparable texture . ”
The maroon - and - tan dry bean is equally delicious boiled and seasoned as it is roasted and salt and serve as an appetizer . Here is how to develop this tasty pantry staple fibre :
Like other beans , the ‘ Lina Sisco Bird Egg ’ bean grows best in full sun , planted in well - drained and warm soil . While terminal beans require trellising , bush beans ( like the ‘ Lina Sisco Bird Egg ’ noodle ) can grow unsupported .
Direct sow seeds 2 inches asunder at 1 inch deep and in rows 36 to 48 inches apart . Sow after the soil has hand at least 50 degrees F , but rather when the soil is 60 - 80 degrees F.
Shop ‘Lina Sisco Bird Egg’ bean seeds.
This story was to begin with posted on the Seed Savers Exchange web log onMarch 19 , 2020 , by
More to Explore
Stories are what get in touch us in human experience , it ’s how culture and story are share . Explore stewardship stories from varieties in the Seed Savers Exchange collecting and learn more about The Collection stewarded by SSE faculty at Heritage Farm .
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