One of your best resources might be the catalogue of Heritage Harvest Seed. This is a seed company based in Manitoba with an extraordinary selection of heirloom and open-pollinated bean varieties adapted to short growing seasons, including many that are excellent as dry beans. As an aside for those who are interested, they will also ship to USA. I placed an order for several packets of unusual bean varieties (including Dollof, Flagg and Mr. Tung's) and I had no trouble receiving it through regular mail. I know of no seed company in USA with such an excellent range of beans. Here is a link that might be useful: Heritage Harvest Seed

Shelley, I saw your post regarding success with butterbeans in Zone 5 and am eager to learn more. I'm in Zone 5 in the eastern high plains of Colorado with a growing season (if lucky) of 3-4 months. I grow 4 varieties of bush beans (Tennessee Green Pod, Anasazi, Royal Burgundy and Pinto) with high yields and little maintenance other than watering. I would love to find a butterbean variety that could be grown here as well. Would you have any spare seed from your Lynch's harvest that I could trade for or purchase? tom

There's a lot of good stuff in this thread. I'd like to point out that I did not like the MG Moisture Control the one year I used it for my tomatoes. Strange things happened, including BER. I'm using a mix of 2/3 old potting soil and 1/3 new this year, which is normal for me, and feeding them every two weeks. I'm only growing three in pots this season, two Sungolds and one Black Cherry each in a 10 gallon container. I also have four pepper plants in a 7 gallon container, and I'm trying to grow cucumbers in a pot. (Damn squash vine borer killed everything last year, so nothing squash like in the garden this year.) Between the 10 gallon size, close attention to watering needs, and frequent feeding, those three cherry tomato plants will easily grow to 8 feet tall and produce WAY more cherry tomatoes than I need. If you've never grown plants in pots, but think you might have a reason to do so, I highly recommend it. I grow cherries in pots, because I find it easier to stay on top of the harvesting when they are on the front porch. When they are in the garden, they always seem to get away from me. It also lets me start them a couple weeks ahead of the main garden without fear of a deadly late frost.

I have a couple of dutch ovens, a pressure cooker, a crock pot, an Instant Pot AND a couple of bean pots. I got this one at an auction, with the instructions still inside, it looks like it's never been used. Actually, it came in a box with some other items, including a cake plate that I wanted. I bought the box for $2, got the glass cake plate and the bean pot, tossed out the chipped coffee mugs and other junk and still think I got a great deal, although my garbage man hates it when I do that. :-) The booklet was still inside the pot, showing that it was available for $1.79 with an additional purchase, so I guess that's probably about what I paid for it. (grin) Here is the recipe that was included: I like beans best in the crockpot, though. It's far cheaper than using my electric oven, and I can go away for hours and come back to supper. I also add bacon or smoked pork hocks or leftover ham, and that makes supper with some rye bread or corn bread. Fortunately, both my husband and I like beans in nearly any form, and although Grandma used navy beans and the recipes usually call for "pea" beans, I grow Italian Horticultural and shell them, then freeze them. They are not dried, they are more like fresh shelled beans and that's what I use because I have them. So I think whatever beans you like will work fine. I do like them cooked for a long time, as I think they absorb the flavor and I like them thick, a texture I haven't been able to obtain in the Instant Pot or the pressure cooker. Bean soup comes out well, but not the baked beans, they're too thin. I know there's a "learning curve" with the Instant Pot and Elery just got it for Christmas, so maybe that will be better after some practice. When I'm short on time I make the "cheater" baked beans with Bush's baked beans or my new favorite, KC Masterpiece with Bacon. I add some catsup, some mustard, some brown sugar and cook them until they are sticky, my grandson will eat a plate full. If I were to choose between a bean pot and a dutch oven, though, I'd have to go with the dutch oven, those get regular use here. If I wanted an actual bean pot, I'd be stalking the Goodwill and other second hand stores, I occasionally see them there as they are not particularly popular with the younger generation(s) and when Grandma passes away her "weird kitchen things" often get auctioned or go to the second hand stores. Annie