
Bean cooking guide
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Sourcing notes
Mike Reeske runs Rio del Rey with his wife, Chris, in San Diego County, California. They've traveled the world collecting beans and are committed to preserving and enhancing flavorful varieties that have stood the test of time. Mike spent 40 years as a high school chemistry teacher, but always had a soft spot for gardening, so made the career switch to become a full-time farmer.
Rio del Rey grows an impressive number of heirloom beans and chiles on its limited acreage, and are always searching for new ways to grow sustainably– whether it be experimenting with drought-resistant crops, new planting techniques to fight weeds naturally, or crop rotations to enhance the soil. And, Mike never truly left education– he uses his farm to teach local kids about growing their own food.

Sourcing notes
The state of Zacatecas, northwest of Mexico City, has a rich history of thriving nomadic tribes as old as the Aztecs, and is the original site for some of the world’s first beans. Today, thousands of experienced small-scale farmers are Mexico’s leading producers of guavas, chiles, nopales, and, of course, beans– benefiting from the sunny, semi-arid climate and rich, red soils. We partnered with Armando Klein of Darmstadt Organics, who helped organize the farms in his community into a cooperative– so that they can benefit from shared resources and collectively innovate, like achieving organic certification and promoting crops that are important symbols of regional identity.
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