FAVA LOVE
The ancient Egyptians fed fava beans to workers on the pyramids, perhaps because they knew that they were both filling and nutritious. The ancient Romans also understood the value of favas as being both good to eat and good for the soil. Apicius, one of the earliest known cookbooks, featured several fava bean recipes. Cato and Columella, two prominent agricultural writers of the time, advocated rotating edible crops with a cover crop of favas beans – seen as an essential practice for good land stewardship. Yet, it’s one thing to read about this hardy bean and another to marvel at its beauty in full flower growing in a garden or farm. Once little known by California’s industrial farmers, fava beans have gained the attention of growers interested in regenerative agriculture practices. Want to know more? Come to the Green Tent tomorrow and meet Lydia Breen, UCCE Master Gardener and director of Planet Earth Observatory. Get a free fava seed packet and sign up for the Fava Buddy Newsletter, with growing tips, recipes, culinary history – and opportunities to discuss ways to mitigate the effects of climate change on the food we grow in Los Angeles.
The Great Fava Bean Giveaway is a partnership between Planet Earth Observatory, California State University, Chico and Prairie Fava.