Organicburro, sorry for the late response... barrier crops are nectar and/or pollen sources planted between different varieties of the same species when seed saving. They not only provide a physical barrier, they also provide a stopping point for bees, a place to "wipe their feet" so to speak. This means that they are less likely to carry pollen between the two varieties being saved. For a barrier crop to be effective, it must bloom at the same time as the plants it divides. For this reason, trellises of pole lima beans & runner beans (which flower freely) make good barriers between different varieties of common pole beans (which flower sparsely). Along with distance & the interspersed planting of good pollen sources (like cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, and cucurbits) it decreases the chances of cross-pollination between the beans. However, the varieties being saved should not be grown immediately next to the barrier crop; they should still have some distance between them, perhaps 25-50 feet if possible. It has been mentioned that the British have bred runner beans for their pods, and have many named varieties. Organicburro shared a source on another thread, which is in the link below; they carry many named cultivars of runner bean, most of which are very hard to find in the U.S. Here is a link that might be useful: Gourmet Seed International

Hyacinth beans are a very important winter vegetable in many parts of India,especially the eastern region comprising Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, eastern Uttar Pradesh, as well as in Bangladesh. We are talking of half a billion humans here! Note well though, although the nomenclature refers to Lablab purpureus (L.)Sweet., the types most favored for fresh vegetables are broad, flat,about 4-9 inches long[curved], dark green. The finest types are creamy green, almost white. Just like snow peas, they are picked when the seeds are barely developed, and are very tender and delicious. These vegetable types of eastern India are massively vining and require elaborate bamboo trellises. As mentioned above, they are also daylength sensitive. There is another group popular in western india for their seeds used as hulled legumes. 200 genotypes are recognized. On the basis of our limited acquaintance with the Single type distributed as an ornamental in our gardens, we should reserve our judgement! I, for one, crave the fresh hyacinth bean. Frozen food vendors do a roaring business seling memories to expatriates all over the globe, but to me frozen vegetables, peas included, taste like death frozen over. Sorry to be ungrateful, they are good, nutritious food, but they do not taste like the real thing[maybe corn does, to some degree].

We found the four loaves of Arcangeli's Artikchoke Garlic Herb Bread waiting on our porch when we returned from our Golden Gate Park/SF day trip early this afternoon. I put 3 in our freezer as instructed, & will be finish-baking the fourth for 10 minutes, again per instructions, for supper this evening. I think several warm slices with butter will do for that meal!(we had Korean food for lunch in SF). Arcangeli's was extremely efficient in shipping. I ordered Sunday morning, & got three emails keeping me apprised on the status of my order. Along with the bread, I was very impressed with their customer service. Now On To The Bread....

Juellie, don't let us deter you. Millions of people are raised eating these foods and love them. It's really healthful and I wish I thought that I could 'learn to love it', but I don't think so. Alisand, I'd have to chow down on plentiful amounts of other foods that are loaded with folate. I'd love to hear more about what you find to increase folate in your diet. Is there a natural supplement of folate (not folic acid?