- Author: Christine Casey
Winter crops are finished and our spring plantings are coming along nicely. Here's a wrap-up of what we grew this winter:
Bok choy
You'll find lots of information about this crop in a previous post. As you can see, bok choy remains fresh and ready to harvest even after it has bolted (the term used for cabbage family members that have flowered). Healthy food for us and the bees = win-win!
Brussels sprouts
This California specialty crop is delicious sautéed in olive oil with a bit of seasoning. Again, we let ours bolt to provide a nutritious winter pollen source for our bees. Most US production is in California and is concentrated along the coast; the cool, foggy weather there is perfect for this crop. Value in 2015 was nearly $24 million.
Brussels sprouts are high in vitamins C, K, and some B vitamins. Like other cabbage family members, they contain sulforaphane, a compound that may have anti-cancer properties. Steam or stir-fry Brussels sprouts to ensure the highest level of this chemical.
Cauliflower
Several cauliflower varieties are available for purchase at the market or for production by the home gardener. California produces most of the cauliflower consumed in the US, with production along the coast and in the Inland Empire. Crop value in 2015 was $309 million. It is very nutritious: it's a source of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B6.
Here you can see one head ready for harvest and how the part we eat is actually flower buds. By growing a few extras to flower for the bees we can all have a nutritious meal! The purple variety 'Graffiti' gets its color from the plant pigment anthocyanin, which is high in antioxidants.
Fava bean
You'll find lots of information about this crop in a previous post. The expanding fava bean pod still has remnants of the flower attached, which shows nicely how pollination of the ovary at the base of the flower leads to development of the produce we harvest.
For more recipes, check out this helpful reference guide prepared by the Yolo County Department of Agriculture and funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
- Author: Christine Casey
Central California's mild winters mean we can grow our state's specialty crops year-round. Tasty, nutritious, and easily-grown, fava beans are a winter crop that feeds both us and honey bees. Favas, like the honey bees that pollinate them, are native to the Mediterranean region. Since honey bees are active when it's sunny and temperatures are above 55 degrees, there will be ample pollination in our mild winters. Recent research by Bishop et. al (Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment; 2016. 220:89-96) suggests that fava plants become more dependent on insect pollination as temperatures increase. Thus bee pollination may play an increasingly important role in production of this crop as our climate changes.
How to grow: Fava plants may be found at some garden centers, but it's much easier to locate and purchase seeds. They germinate quickly and are also a great project for children who are learning to garden. If started now, beans should be ready to harvest in February or March; you'll also find them at farmer's markets at that time.
Pests: Bean aphids (Aphis fabae) may infest fava beans as they mature. These do not affect yield; wash these off with water. UC IPM has more detailed information on biology and management guidlines.
Nutrition and recipes: Fava beans (Vicia faba) are full of nutrients and a great source of fiber and lean protein. Favas may be eaten raw by taking them out of the pod and removing the outer coating, otherwise they should be cooked. This recipe for fava bean pesto from the Food Network utilizes basil, another great, easy-to-grow bee plant.
The UC Cooperative Extension Small Farms Program has a page on favas with more information about growing, nutrients, and economics. Both basil and fava beans are important to the state's specialty crop economy. California leads the US in herb production, and in coastal California, which is the center of the state's fava production, the San Mateo County fava bean crop was valued at $1.8M in 2015 (California Agricultural Statistics Review, 2015).
Cautions: fava beans contain oxalic acid, a naturally-occurring substance found in some vegetables. It may crystallize as oxalate stones in the urinary tract in some people, so anyone with known oxalate urinary tract stones should avoid fava beans.
Favism is a rare inherited disorder most common in people of southern European origin. They have an enzyme deficiency that causes a reaction when they eat fava beans are eaten or are exposed to fava pollen. They may develop hepatitis or flu-like symptoms.