FANTASTIC FIELD BEANS!

Garden Organic's Anton Rosenfeld extols the virtues of the field bean and explains how and why we should grow lots more of this relative of the broad bean

- Anton Rosenfeld

The status of field beans or fava beans has taken a bit of a nosedive over the last few decades, with people either associating them with animal feed or Hannibal Lecter! But if we let this put us off, we're missing a trick.

Field beans (Vicia faba) are the same species as broad beans, but a different variety that produces a larger number of smaller beans. They're more resilient and reliable than broad beans and a good plant to include in an organic rotation because they can be grown as a green manure or as a food crop.

GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO USING CHICKPEAS

In the UK many of us have seen field beans growing in large fields by the roadside but assumed they were for animal feed. However, a significant proportion of them are destined for North Africa for human consumption. Egypt has a taste for these beans, and they use them in preference to chickpeas to make falafel or hummus.

If you want to make home-grown versions of these dishes then field beans will certainly produce a much larger and more reliable crop than growing chickpeas in the UK. They can be eaten fresh when young or be allowed to dry and stored. The logic of exporting home-grown field beans while importing chickpeas will surely one day be questioned!

HOW TO GROW THEM