Field Peas?...Cow Peas?...Crowder Peas?...Now I know!.....AND a Milestone!

[bvar22]

In my youth in New Orleans (another time, another place), we regularly had a side dish called "Field Peas". They tasted somewhat like Black Eyed Peas, but were smaller, crisper, and better tasting. I didn't really know what they were...I only remember that I liked them. I don't think I ever saw them on a menu, or in a store. I haven't eaten them for many years. After moving to Arkansas, I mentioned Field Peas to Starkraven, and she said she had never heard of them.

In late June, Starkraven surprised me with a package of "Field Peas" seeds she had found at the co-op. It turns out that "Field Peas" are a member of one of the largest family of peas called Southern/Cow Peas which has literally hundreds of varieties, some of which are Black Eyed Peas, Purple Hulled Peas, and Crowder Peas.

Now I know many of you are going DUH!, but cut me some slack. I am really new at this.

Anyway, we had an empty box from the garlic harvest, and planted the Field Peas in late June.
We planted them mostly out of curiosity, and as a cover crop for soil conditioning. We really didn't pay much attention to them. They pretty much just grew themselves.

We pulled up our bush beans about a month ago ago, and the pole (green) beans have about stopped. Most of the beans are already canned or frozen. There are some blossoms on the Pole Beans, and we may get a few more fresh beans,.... but the Field Peas are now coming on strong. We will be harvesting this tasty veggie for a while. It turns out that they are a perfect late Summer crop. They thrive in the heat and low water and are pest & disease resistant.

We harvested the first pods yesterday, shelled them, and ate them over rice.
They were delicious.





The plants are about two feet tall, and the pods are really cool. They grow from a little stalk above the plant body which makes them really easy to pick. They are perfect for the Late Summer transition to Fall. They seem to be very productive, and it looks like we will have plenty to dry for the Winter.

AND, also.....
A BIG day for us. :party:

We started 2 HoneyBee colonies in May 2007 as an adjunct to the Veggie Garden,
and harvested our first honey last week.


We got about 1/2 gallon from both hives.
We love our bees, and were careful not to take very much from them.
Thank You, HoneyBees!
:hippie:

[Dover]

1. Oh wow!! I LOVE field peas and hadn't even thought of them.

And look at tht honey! Pooh would be proud. Yummmy! I bow to the beeeez and sweet nectar of the flowers. And love that you left some of the bees labor to them.

Your posts are like precious jewels. I love to open them and discover the wonders inside.
Do you print them out and keep a scrapbook or download them to a disk, or keep a photo
diary? I see a book in your future....or perhaps a website?

Anyway, so grateful that you generously share your thoughts, trials and harvest celebrations with us.

[bvar22]

4. Thanks for the kind words.

:blush:

I used to add the photo threads to My Journal, but haven't done that lately.
I have a list of most of the photo essays I've done at DU, so I could find them in the archives.

I am now a pretty avid amateur photographer. I've always been interested, but digital cameras and the DU Pet Forum and Photo Group are responsible.
I went to the Photo Group several years ago to find out how to take better action shots of my cat, and found a new obsession in the Photo Group.

Here is the thread from 2005 that started it all, if you are interested.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x6017

:hi:

[Dover]

5. Happens everytime...

I just spent a good hour with your linked post, savoring each photo and following the thread of
additional links.
And LOVED the hoops page! Hahaha!
I know photography can be addictive, and if done well can also be addictive to those who
view them! It feels a little voyeuristic living vicariously through your documented
adventures, but I'm a sucker for a good story and yours touches my heart, and stimulates
my mind. In addition to your photographic skills, I think it must be your general attitude toward and embrace of life that's so appealing.

Thanks again! :hi:

[hippywife]

2. Congrats, B!

That's a really sweet reward! Glad that worked out so well for you guys! :hi:

[zabet]

3. Dixie Lee is the variety of 'field pea'

most commonly planted here in NC. We plant those in the spring and 'Red Rippers' in the fall (they have a purple hull and the eye of the pea is purplish).

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. Can you talk about the hives?

How you built them, how you started them, how far from the house, get stung, pix etc.

[bvar22]

8. The Bees are cool!

The bees were Starkraven's project from the start.
They seemed like a natural addition to our new life in Arkansas.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=246x5729

We arrived at our new home in Oct 2006. During the Winter, Starkraven researched bees (mostly online), and purchased a "Starter Kit" and two hive bodies online. She assembled the hives during the Winter, and in the Spring, the bees arrived via mail. Neither Starkraven nor myself had had any hands-on experience with bees, and the early days were pretty stressful.

Honey Bees are very good at taking care of themselves, and they did well the first Summer. We didn't harvest any honey the first year in order to build strong colonies.

We both became more and more fascinated with these insects, and took a course offered by the State, and later joined our local BeeKeepers Association.

While the bees are hearty and very good at taking care of themselves, they sometimes need some help.
We were lucky, and blundered through the first year on online research and love, but taking a course and joining the BeeKeepers Association has been invaluable, and we highly recommend it to anyone considering bees.

Our bees are very gentle (Italian/All Stars). We always wear protective hoods and gloves and use a smoker, but rarely put on the full suit. We do get stung on rare occasions (through the gloves or jeans), but it is no big deal anymore. I am considering trying BeeSting therapy for some arthritis in my hands .

We have gotten very comfortable with the bees, and inspect the hives every couple of weeks during the Spring/Summer. It takes about 20 minutes per hive. During the Winter, we rarely open the hives. ...only enough to make sure they have food (sugar water).

Our colonies are about 20 yards from the backdoor, visible from the house. There are plenty of bees around our house and gardens, but they have never caused a problem with us or our pets. Neither of us has been stung outside of messing with the hives. We did learn the hard way NOT to wear flower scented deodorant or fabric softeners.

There are many websites that offer full starter kits online.
I believe we ordered our kit from Dadant.

If you are interested in Bees, we offer these STRONG suggestions:

1) Check in with you County Extension.
They are really helpful. There are some regulations concerning transportation, registration, and inspection, and there may be some local ordinances. They are also a great resource for latest research and new methods, pest & disease control. They can also facilitate state hive inspections.
We generally avoid government agencies where ever possible, and have never voluntarily registered anything, but we make an exception for our bees. The benefits FAR outweigh any downside.

2)Join you local Beekeepers Association.
These are some of the most laid back people you will ever meet. Starkraven and myself are not joiners, but we look forward to our monthly meetings with the "bee people". This is another valuable resource for local information concerning pests, honey flows, equipment and disreputable operators. You can also pick up some hands-on experience working around hives.
Make no mistake...it is scary opening a hive the first time.
You will also be able to pick up some free localized bees from you local bee keepers. (Healthy colonies EXPAND, and many local bee keepers have all they want and are more than happy to give them away).

3)Always use new equipment
There are some very persistent pests and diseases that can be transmitted through the equipment. Used equipment abounds at some very attractive prices.
It is not worth the risk in my opinion. If you join the local association, some will offer you old equipment for FREE, but we always politely turn it down.
New Equipment is very reasonable, and there are many wholesalers and retailers online.
We use Dadant, and have been very happy with them.

Good Luck, and we are happy to answer any questions you may have.
America needs more small scale BeeKeepers.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=280x34941

[RedLetterRev]

7. We're drying our first batch of cowpeas

and lordy are they prolific.

Beautiful photo!! I'll have to admit, I'm slightly jealous of that gorgeous jar of honey. I'm et-up with the cowpeas this year. I had NO idea they were THAT prolific. I've just dried and put away the first two pounds of them and there are about another 4 or 5 waiting to be picked and dried. I'm just now tilling about another 1/8th acre for my winter garden (I'm way behind in chores, this being wedding season) in addition to the 1/8th acre that's overflowing with its summer crop. My poor partner has learned canning under fire (well, he picked a farmer for a partner, heh) I'll get to 'em when I get to 'em, this week some time.

I can't keep hives because my partner is deathly allegic to bees (we have to keep a sting kit handy), but one of our neighbors has a great stand of hives and he's willing to barter honey for our provender. Barter is one of the benefits of living way out in the country :) We use honey for a sweetener more than white sugar, even in coffee. Ya get used to it pretty quickly and it's better for ya.

I've been inhabiting the heirloom seed sites and filling my seed-chest with lots of yummy beans for next year. I've gotten some of the beans I remember from my youth way up in the Appalachian mountains. If you want a really good-eating bean, get yourself some greasy cut-shorts. There are several varieties. They are heirlooms, not patented, very nutritious, easy to grow and will breed true if you carefully dry them and carry them over from year to year. They won't need stringing and are especially wonderful when prepared with hog-mawls and taters. (Yeah, I'm betraying my hillbilly roots, but some porefolks food is worth sharing. Especially whilst we're on the subject of crowders and good-eatin' beans!!)

Enjoy that honey and those cowpeas!!

b/b!!

:hippie:

[japple]

9. Beautiful photos, and a subject matter that is dear to the hearts

of everyone in my family: PEAS! We have started growing Dixie Cream (zipper peas) and they are to die for. Small white field peas, best when picked while still green, but after the pods are filled-out. They are tender and moist--not mealy like some peas. Next year I will try to find seeds for lady peas, which are very small, white peas of another variety of field pea. Everyone around here grows crowder and pink-eye purple hull, similar to black eyed peas. There's always something new to try.

Thanks again for your gorgeous pictures, and a most interesting posting.