October 2025 Bean + Grain Club

October's Heirloom Bean and Grain Club brings together three soul-warming ingredients perfect for the cooler days ahead: Organic Zuni Gold Beans from Blue House Farm, Organic Cannulah Cassoulet Beans from the Doudlah Family, and Organic Cracked Farro Porridge from Bluebird Grain Farms. As the leaves turn and the air gets crisp, these heirloom beans and ancient grains are exactly what your fall table needs. The Zuni Gold Beans, with their creamy white bodies and golden caps, create the most luxurious, buttery broth. The Cannulah Cassoulet Beans are regeneratively farmed in Wisconsin—dense, meaty, and perfect for slow-cooked comfort food. And the Cracked Farro Porridge? It's an ancient grain grown regeneratively in Washington, making the creamiest, most satisfying breakfast or side dish you can imagine. This month's selection is all about embracing cozy fall meals, honoring traditional farming methods, and celebrating organic heirloom beans grown by small family farms who truly care about the land.

ORGANIC ZUNI GOLD BEANS

The Zuni Gold Bean is a treasure from the Zuni people of New Mexico, cultivated for generations in the high desert Southwest. These beautiful beans have sustained communities for centuries, thriving in the challenging growing conditions of their native lands. Like all heirloom beans, they carry stories of resilience, tradition, and the careful stewardship of seeds passed down through generations.

Blue House Farm's Zuni Gold Beans are mostly white with a distinctive golden cap—a result of careful seed selection over the years. Each season, farmers choose which seeds to save and replant based on how the plants performed, and over time this practice shapes the beans themselves. It's a beautiful reminder that heirloom varieties are living, evolving ingredients that reflect not just their ancestry but also the specific farm and farmer who grows them. 

ABOUT THE FARM

Blue House Farm grows drop dead gorgeous beans from the gorgeous, fertile land in Pescadero and San Gregorio, California. Ryan Casey became interested in farming in college while taking agriculture courses. After completing an apprenticeship at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems and working on several farms, he decided to start an organic farm. The farm started in 2005 on 2 acres and has steadily grown to over 75 acres in production. Farming in two different microclimates allows Blue House Farm to grow over 50 types of certified organic farm products. Among the lettuce, tomatoes, herbs and peppers Blue House Farm grows excellent organic beans.

WHAT TO DO WITH THEM

These creamy beans are perfect for fall soups and stews. Their silky texture and that incredible broth make them ideal for a simple pot of beans with garlic, onions, and fresh herbs. Try them in a hearty minestrone or pair them with roasted squash and kale for a dish that tastes like October. All you need is some crusty bread to soak up that liquid gold pot liquor. They're also fantastic in grain bowls, where that rich broth becomes the base for a complete meal.

ORGANIC CANNULAH CASSOULET BEANS

A favorite of French cooks, Cannulah™ (also known as Cassoulet beans or Classic Flat Whites™) are your new staple for leisurely Sunday braises and so much more– they hold their large shape and soak up all the flavor.  Ours are grown on a certified regenerative organic family owned farm, planted harmoniously with sunflowers in a living trellis system, just like in France. 

Part of the Classic Flat White™ project, this is a very special bean bred from the exact same seed famously grown in France and Spain. The idea "began with a dinner in France" when a farmer and a bean breeder became enchanted with the sublime white beans that had been cooked to perfection. After many years dedicated to breeding the perfect cassoulet bean that would thrive organically here in the US, the results are delectable.

How To Cook Them: Cassoulet beans are large and dense so they will take longer to cook from dried compared to other varieties, but ours are so incredibly fresh the'll take less time than most dried cassoulet beans you find. Always add salt to your cooking water, no matter what you've heard, it helps the beans soften and absorb water. In a pressure cooker, cook on high for 42 minutes with a 15 minutes natural release. On the stovetop from dry bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 2- 2.5 hours. 

WHAT TO DO WITH THEM

Obviously, these beans were born for cassoulet. Whether you go traditional with meat or create a vegetarian version loaded with root vegetables, herbs, and a crispy breadcrumb topping, you can't go wrong. But I was inspired by their incredible flavor and texture to make a vegetarian version of the viral Marry Me Chicken, behold my Marry Me Beans in a thick luxuriously decadent that just screams fall. My family could not stop eating it. Make sure to serve it with a nice crusty bread to soak up the mouthwatering sauce. They're the kind of bean that makes you want to light candles, pour a glass of wine, and settle in for a long, lazy Sunday afternoon of cooking. That's fall living at its finest.

ABOUT THE FARMERS

Mark Doudlah is a 6th generation farmer in Wisconsin. His father and his fathers father, and generations before that had been conventional farmers on that same land,

 the same as all their neighbors. Then Mark's dad was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma, known as The Midwest Farmers' Cancer. Doctors said the cause of his cancer was most likely due to his long-term exposure to herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and degreasers. Mark knew what he had to do. Today Doudlah Farms practices and advocates for organic regenerative and bio-dynamic farming practices (fancy na

mes for growing nutrient-rich foods that are good for you and the future of human health). This is a family owned and family run farm. Mark is a trailblazer, educating and paving a new way for farmers like himself. We are huge fans.

CRACKED FARRO PORRIDGE

We are excited to offer you Bluebird Grain Farm's most popular grain as a versatile cracked grain. Winner of the Good Food Award, don't let the porridge name fool you, it's not just for breakfast! Used in Northern Italy as a savory porridge, this milled-to-order Organic Cracked Farro Porridge is a nutritious whole-grain cereal that can be used as a hot cereal or prepared polenta-style with fresh herbs and roasted vegetables or roasted meats. 

Emmer is a type of farro (an ancient hulled wheat) that dates back to early civilization. Grown organically in the Pacific Northwest using regenerative farming methods, it has 28 chromosomes and predates Spelt. Cracked in a fine grind from signature whole-grain Emmer Farro, this porridge is an excellent source of protein, fiber, phosphorus, and trace minerals. It is naturally sweet, rich, and nutty, with a creamy texture.  

WHAT TO DO WITH CRACKED FARRO PORRIDGE

Think way beyond breakfast cereal for this incredible whole grain treat. It's toothy texture and nutty flavor makes it the perfect vegan meat substitute in our  stuffed squash and savory sage stuffed bell pepper recipes.  Even for the most ardent meat eaters they are a big hit. It's also the star player in our grillable black bean burgers recipe. Our recipe testers raved about this recipe saying it was the best black bean burger they'd ever had and commented that it froze very well. If you're craving something sweet but not too sweet our cracked farro porridge with roasted grapes. It's fantastic for breakfast or as a warm fall desert. And since Thanksgiving is right around the corner our cracked farro stuffing with hazelnuts is a unique and healthy twist on the traditional.

ABOUT BLUEBIRD GRAIN FARMS

Bluebird Grain Farms’ mission is to cultivate and mill the most irresistible, nutrient-rich ancient grains they can while leaving this land healthier for the next generation. In 2004 Sam and Brook started Bluebird Grain Farms as a husband and wife team because they could not find locally grown organic grains in the Pacific Northwest. Bluebird’s founding principles in soil health, nutrition, and agroecology are being expanded as they partner with like-minded “tried and true” organic grain farmers who share their founding principals of growing food for soil health and optimal nutrition.