Weatherbury Farm Grain Tracker
From Planting to Harvest, Lariat Pinto Beans in the field:
A new growing adventure for Weatherbury Farm in 2023 — Lariat Pinto Beans.
Plowing and harrowing (harrowing smooths the soil) the field where the pinto beans will be planted.
Some time has passed since the field was plowed and harrowed, and as you can see the field (to the left of the rototiller) is now full of grass, clover and some weeds. So to have the best planting surface for the beans, the field was rototilled.
After the field is rototilled, we planted the navy beans. The planter also has a harrow in front of it to smooth the ground before the beans are planted.
The field of Lariat Pinto Beans is beginning to flower.
Thinking about refried beans made with our organic pinto beans.
Farmer Nigel inspects the Pinto Beans.
Two+ weeks after blooming, the Pinto Beans have formed on the plants.
Harvesting our Pinto Beans with our Gleaner Combine.
The threshed beans are retained in the body of the combine. The straw is deposited from the rear of the combine back unto the field. The straw will be left in the field, where it will increase the organic matter of the soil.
Increasing the organic matter of the soil is one of the best ways to counter global warming.
The beans are loaded into a peanut wagon for transport back to the farm where an aerator fan will be put on the wagon to dry them down even more.
We use a peanut wagon to store our beans because it has a bottom floor which can be aerated to help dry down the beans.
Our peanut wagon started its life on a North Carolina peanut farm. Newer technologies are now available for drying peanuts.
Lariat Pinto Bean Facts 2023
Lariat Pinto Bean Field Map 2023
In 2023, Lariat Pinto Beans were grown in Independence Township on our home farm. The farm is part of a 436 acre grant (known as Extravagance) surveyed to John Doddridge on April 6,1786. According to the Caldwell Atlas , the farm was established by M.T. Murdock in 1825. Murdock is listed as a farmer, grain, stock and wool grower (with 150 sheep). The farm was later a dairy operation (the Patterson family: 1945-1966) and a cattle operation (the Eastham family: 1966-1986). In 2008, we began raising historical grains on both the home farm and neighboring farms. The grains were certified organic in 2009 . In April 2014 Weatherbury Farm began stone-grinding flour. Weatherbury Farm also raises grass fed beef.
The beans were planted on one field totaling acres on July 10 2023.
The Lariat Pinto Beans were harvested on November 25, 2023.
For an illustrated explanation of how Weatherbury beans are planted, harvested and cleaned,, visit the from seed to flour page.
About Lariat Pinto Beans
At Weatherbury Farm, we grew Pinto Beans as a new bean in 2023. Pinto Beans are also known as speckled beans and strawberry haricot beans. They are the most popular dried beans in the United States.
Products from Lariat Pinto Beans
Lariat Pinto Beans are cleaned and offered as dry beans. For best results, beans should be soaked overnight before cooking to achieve optimum texture and flavor.
With their buttery flavor, pinto beans are said to make the best refried beans and are frequently used in Mexican and southwest US cuisine.
Health benefits of Beans
Pinto beans are an important source of vitamins, minerals ( thiamine, iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus ), protein, fiber and various antioxidants. Pinto beans are particularly rich in kaempferol, which is associated with several health benefits, including a lower incidence of stroke and repressed cancer growth.
One advantage of dried beans over canned beans is that canned beans, because of the canning process, may be high in sodium, which could affect the health of folks with high blood pressure.
More Information
Lariat Pinto Beans can be ordered at our online shop either for our monthly on-farm pickup or you can have your order sent to you.
To read more about Lariat Pinto Beans, please visit our Pinto Beans page.