Hidatsa Shield Figure Bean 1

Hidatsa Shield Figure Bean 1

11 9/16 x 12 3/8 x 1 3/8"
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I love the Hidatsa Shield Figure Bean. It gets its name from the Hidatsa American Indians of the Missouri River Valley of North Dakota. It is a very productive dry bean that was traditionally planted with corn and squash. I stumbled upon it last year and planted a few with my sweet corn, but they were unfortunately devoured by rabbits before they could grow very big. I plan on trying another crop this year with a sturdy fence in place. I love this planting technique that lets each plant support the next in line. The roots of the beans fix nitrogen in the soil which the roots of the corn consume, the corn provides the beans with a stalk to climb and the squash shades out the weeds, allowing the corn and beans to grow with less competition. 

This bean was drawn with oil pastel on gessoed steel siding and mounted on a frame made from lath boards recovered from our dining room ceiling. This photo really shows off the texture of the siding. The mount was made with the help of a portable planar that was pure heaven to work with.