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Velvet Beanology:<\/strong>
\nThe Velvet Bean is a strong-growing annual plant native to the tropics. Most of the varieties grown in the United States are M. deeringiana, although some are other Mucuna species or interspecies hybrids. The slender stems may grow to 30 feet. They are mainly grown with a support crop, usually corn, on which they climb.<\/p>\n

The leaves are trifoliate, with large, ovate leaflets. Pods are pubescent, up to 6 inches long, with 3 to 6 seeds per pod. Velvet beans are well adapted to sandy soils and require a long growing season to produce much pasturage. They are grown mainly in the Southeastern Coastal Plain for late summer pasturage and soil improvement. All parts of the plant are nutritious and palatable to livestock.<\/p>\n

Velvet beans come in a variety of colors, including white, black, brown, and mottled. There are 450 to 500 dried velvet beans per pound.<\/p>\n

Agricultural Uses:<\/strong>
\nUpon further investigation, you will find that velvet beans are grown in third-world countries where the farmer cannot afford the equipment to plow his field. He will use this plant to strangle weeds, add much-needed nutrients and organic matter to the soil, and control soil erosion.<\/p>\n

This is the plant you were looking for to add to the rotation crops you already plant in your food plots. It chokes out weeds and produces a viable food crop even in the driest of seasons, while improving the soil so your plots will draw more deer than your neighbor who uses other means to attract deer. All the while, you will be using less fertilizer, fewer chemicals, and most of all, less work.<\/p>\n

Medicinal Uses:<\/strong>
\nHistorically, velvet beans have been used in various ways. Depending on the era and custom, many cultures have touted their value as food and medicine. As a precursor to dopamine, the L-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa) content (3 to 6 percent is considered average) accounts for some of the perceived medicinal value, including improved sleep, a sense of well-being, even muscle toning. Parkinson\u2019s disease appears to be assuaged by the use of dopamine. In Brazil and India in particular, some formulations using velvet beans are considered aphrodisiacs.<\/p>\n

Many other health and medicinal qualities have been asserted. See disclaimer below.<\/p>\n

The velvet beans we grow are harvested from fields that have a few natural stones as well as typical agricultural plant debris. We carefully clean these beans, but be sure to sort and rinse them before using for any purpose.<\/p>\n

We do not believe disclaimers should be hidden in fine print. Here is an honest one:<\/strong>The FDA has not evaluated everything that you might read or hear about velvet beans, and we as the ecologically friendly farmers of these beans make no warranty nor suggestions for their use. We do, however, receive good feedback from our current customers. Since we grow these and other products ourselves (small plots of sweet corn or peanuts for example), as a single-family farm we do not have a legal staff or a laboratory to make ourselves invulnerable. The user’s own research, therefore, is always an important tool re the usefulness and safety of any food or supplement.
\n\u00a9 2018 Glendale Enterprises, Inc.<\/p>\n