I am looking to trade for some of your Vicia faba fava/broad beans. I have vegetable seeds to trade - please see my list. Thanks, -Tom Here is a link that might be useful: My Trade List

I have grown them in Massachusetts. You just have to put them out early. Plant the same time as peas. Hope you do not get a really hot spell in late June since fava beans really do not like hot weather. The way people grow fava beans in 'fava countries' is they plant them in the fall; they come up, grow a few inches, and hold over the winter. They begin growing early in their spring and are harvested before the weather gets hot. However, they will not survive weather below 15F which leaves that technique out for you. FYI, if you are growing fava beans, they can get a bit tall and sometimes blow over. I used to grow them in a double row and put a stake every ten feet or so along the rows. Ran a basket weave twine between the plants, fastening it to the stakes. Went ;up and down the row once. Did a fair job of keeping them upright. You might also try pinching the tops on some of them. If the weather is right, you will get new shoots coming up and get a larger harvest. The picture is not very useful, but it is the only one I have of fava beans. Sorry. Pick them small. They are really tasty. Bill McKay

Wow, now I am worried about planting the favas I ordered from an Italian importer. Favas aren't on the seed racks around here. From the sounds of your posts it might get too hot here in the summer and too much snow in the winter. Oh well, all I can do is try. I shared a few with a friend who planted them in peat pots and they sprouted right away indoors. Lately, I've seen many cooks on the food channel using fresh favas in recipes. My family is of Portuguese descent, and my late mother fixed dry ones with onions and curry which were wonderful. It's a childhood memory of mine having grown up in Hawaii. I have heard about them causing severe allergic reactions in certain people, but I don't know much about that. I see where freedom farmer mentioned that. But he also says they grow fairly well in MA. I shall give it a try since there is more snow there than in Kansas.

I am so glad that you loved your stuff! I had so much fun collecting for this swap the last so many months, and now that it is over, I feel sad! Oh well, I will have to get my fix looking for tomato seeds! I hate how the stores and tv bring on Christmas so early, like the after Labor Day, and then as soon as it is 11:59 pm on Christmas night, everything just ends and there are no more Christmas movies on tv, the radio stops playing Christmas music, you see Valetines Day stuff out on the 26th, and that is depressing. They rush it here so fast, why can't they atleast hold on to the Christmas celebration atleast until New Year's. Anyway, my tree is staying up for a while! From Donna I got! Red Gold Winter Squash, very interesting! Queensdland Blue, Awesome! Sarah Black Tomato ( this tomato is like a "sexy looking one!) Morado Tomato(another black I have been waiting to try! Mayflower Bean (mmmm, sounds yummy) serpente di sicilia edible gourd ( I love Italian seeds!) Pionsett Cuke (almost like pointsettia) snowball cauli, we think alike Black Beauty eggplant, great for my eggplant parm! Evergreen Tomato, another I did not have enough to save for myself Burpees Jubilee Tomato, a nice orange one! Marina di Chioggia pumpkin (anything from Chioggia Italy is always great!) Snowbird Pea (yummy!) Listada Di Gandia (another great Italian seed) Blackberry Lily ( hmm, have to check this one out) Browns Jubilee ( now I have 2 jubilees to compare together) 2 neat ornaments on my tree! a big hearsheys bar that hubby attacked!and now he thinks my seed people are "cool" because of Donnas chocolate bar! an awesome bag of earthworm tea mix and some fertilizing pellets!!! Thanks soo much Donna ! Great mixed bag! Ok, from Nancy I got: Blue Jade Baby Corn (cant wait to try this!) Christmas Lima ( Soooo glad she got me this because I orginally bought some for myself too, then since I had 2 partners I gave my seeds to a partner, so now I have them againfrom Nancy! yeah!) Queen\and Blue Squash cool! Traviata Endive (needed some endive Fava Bean ( want to plant these since they are so hard to find fresh) Orange Master Pomagranite (a very rare and interesting one I want to plant! Cannelli Beans (my favorite dry bean, love my pasta fagiolla!) Mrs. Burns Lemon Basil, awesome! Pesto Basil ( which I make a ton of) lINTZ cHOCOLATE baR YUM! A bag of Seed Savers Exchange runner Cannellinni beans to cook, mmmmmmm! Like I said, my favorite bean, do you think I could save a few to plant? Would that work? Christmas Grapes Tomato, another I gave all mine away and had none left! Black Plum Paste! I cannot wait to make black tomato sauce! Rossa di Chioggia Radichio, probably my faovite! If you get a chance, take a look at how beautiful this one is on Pinetree garden seeds site! Thanks soo much Nancy! AWESOME seeds! Ok, I know I probably forgot a few to mention of each of you too, so many seeds! It was so cool to have 2 partners!!!!! BTW, did I give you guys the Snowflake pea? I also gave you guys the same amount of stuff, while trying to give you each your own wish list stuff too, I really hope you liked everything! This was so fun! I wish it was Christmas time all the time! Do you guys mind doing something like this for Christmas in July? I think that would be neat! Merry Christmas to everyone! And do not mind my sloppy spelling in this post! Christy