'Gaucho' Bean

 Phaseolus vulgaris

Origin: Argentina

Improvement status: Cultivar

Seeds per packet: ~35

Germination tested 12/2023: 90%

Life cycle: Annual

If you haven't tried it yet, you're going to love 'Gaucho' bean. It may look like any other gold bean, but its rich, hearty flavor puts it into a class all its own. We owe our friend Carol Deppe, the great plant breeder and seed saver, for popularizing this bean in North America. She's grown this Argentinian heirloom since the 1980s after getting it from the erstwhile Abundant Life Foundation. Carol loves this bean and has used it for breeding countless new varieties. What sets it apart (besides its great taste), is its immense productivity. Despite being a compact bush bean, it yields 20 pounds per 100 row-feet for Carol, who grows in Oregon's Willamette Valley, where spring sun is often wanting and cool summer nights are not unusual, so you can expect even higher yields in more optimal bean climates. Named for the famous cowboys of the Argentine Pampas, 'Gaucho' is known for drying down quickly — about 10 days from green to completely dry.

Our seed was grown by our friend Clint Freund of Cultivating the Commons in Amery, Wisconsin.

GROWING TIPS: Direct sow after danger of frost has passed. Space plants 8-12 inches apart, and plant seeds an inch deep.