A broad bean grown by the same Somerset family since 1875 has become part of a national collection of heritage vegetables. Known as Grandfather Bean, the variety has been maintained by the Burge family for around 150 years, with seed passed down through generations. In 2025, it was among 11 varieties successfully added to Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library after being grown and assessed as part of a project to find unusual and threatened crops. Its journey from a family garden to a permanent seed collection shows how individual growers can preserve varieties that might otherwise disappear. The addition gives Grandfather Bean a secure place in a national seed collection, helping ensure the family-preserved variety remains available for future growers.
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