The local non-profit FoodMasters will be purchasing some bean seeds from the Bellingham Backyard Bean and Grain Project. Organizers have selected a few varieties that mature early in the Maritime Northwest and have already been grown successfully in Bellingham in a data gathering fashion.

The seeds will be available in individual packets or in a discounted kit of many varieties for gardeners who are willing to participate in the FoodMasters’ 2011 Community Bean Trial. One of FoodMasters’ long-term goals is to further the breeding and seed-saving of staple crops that do well on Orcas Island.

For more information, contact coordinator Learner Limbach at mbiramaker@gmail.com.