Walkin' the Beans

Introduction

My college roommates laughed when I mentioned "Walkin' the Beans". "We've heard of 'Walkin' the Dog', but we didn't know vegetables need exercise!" Mexican Jumping Beans may do their own aerobics, but Illinois beans don't do the walkin'--farm children do!

Walkin' the Beans--Basics

Walkin' the beans means weedin' a very large bean field. It involves not just walkin', but bendin', and pullin', and sweatin', and more walkin'! (Slow down) Until you have no energy left...(regular speed) even for pronouncin' your "G"s! Up two half-mile long rows of beans and down two more-pullin' every weed by the roots, and don't miss any because Dad is quality control inspector. Continue until Dad, also the chain gang foreman, decides you're done-for now! Repeat twice daily for over two weeks. Did I mention this all starts at 6AM?

Slavery/Child Labor Laws

Walkin' the beans is the closest the Midwest ever came to slavery! There were child labor laws broken! We may have been outdoors, but it was still a Sweat Factory! When I asked my family to recall their Bean Walkin' memories, I never got so many dirty looks in my life! My cousin expressed our mutual feelings best-"Walkin' the Beans? (shudder) That's why I became a lawyer!"

Rewards-Not Monetary!

The supposed purpose of walkin' the beans was to improve bean crop yield and purity. Our hard labor increased our family's annual income by...a hundred dollars! We earned 7 cents an hour! Where was Caesar Chavez? My cousin, the lawyer, made big money. His dad paid a penny a thistle! Thistles are vicious-the "sharks" of the weed world! Several backbreaking hours later, he had earned 88 cents-which barely bought a McDonalds meal-even back in the 50s. The real reason behind all this work was to save face! Nothing lowers your status in the farming community faster than an un-walked, un-weeded bean field! Little old ladies didn't invent Sunday driving-it was the farmers-checking their neighbors' fields!

One Benefit

I gained one benefit from Walkin' the Beans. I am the only Girl Scout in history to earn a badge in Weeds! Ragweed, button weed, milkweed... I was the weed expert!

Weed or Flower?

Which brings us to the latest game show sensation-
WEED or FLOWER?
When mom & I arranged wild flowers, you'd think Dad would approve, since they were free! But we were asking him to consort with the enemy! "I deal with weeds all day, and now they're in my house!" These lovely, delicate flowers-Queen Anne's Lace to us-were ugly, disgusting "Wild Carrots" to Dad!

Weed?...or Flower? "A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet!" Hah! Try telling that to my Dad, Will! There's another saying, "A rose is a weed in a wheat field."

Once a year, Dad took revenge on us weed lovers, by mowing the (quotes hand motion) "lawn". We kids could tell where the lawn ended and the flowerbeds began. Not Dad! Like a knight errant, Dad's swift blade slay all beasts in his path-Crab grass, dandelions, Tiger lilies, and snap Dragons!

California "Weeds"

In the 60s, I escaped the farm to become a California "Flower" Child. Or had I become a "Weed" Child? (Not that kind of weed!) Before Silicon took over, San Jose had orchards, with these beautiful yellow flowers. Flowers that looked suspiciously like "mustard weed"-Public Enemy # 1 on D.A.D.'s Most Unwanted List! Weeds or Flowers? I couldn't decide! I was afraid the Girl Scouts would rescind my Weed Badge!

Conclusion

The "weed or flower" puzzle worsened when Dad came to visit. As we drove south of San Jose, Dad kept asking-"What is that crop? Sure looks like thistles, but that can't be!" While I had not become a lawyer, I had rejected all things farm related, so I had no clue. A sign solved the mystery-"Castroville-Artichoke Capitol of the World!" Artichokes-not thistles! But wait! Artichokes are a member of the thistle family!

"Weed or Flower?...or Vegetable"? You decide!

It's time for Walkin' the Carrots! (Walk Off with Carrots attached to Dog Leash!)

copyright ©2001 Louise Wolfe, CH@Home Toastmasters

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