Well, whadya know...

The hubs and I live in a relatively agricultural area. It's also pretty suburban, which makes for a nice atmosphere, we think. I've learned more about plants in the last two years just by driving through the fields every day on my way to the freeway or the grocery store.
Just the other day, while my mom was visiting, she and I drove past a local field where they are currently growing some sort of bean. Mom said that harvesting beans seems difficult and we were wondering how they did it since I know that they aren't hand-harvested like the local strawberries.
"They must have some kind of machine...," we said.
And yes, they do! I passed them on Tuesday evening, all lined up, resting at the end of the day.

The farmers rent (or borrow?) them for the few days of harvest when they need them - then the trucks lumber on down the road to the next bean field. They're gone today but I'm sure they'll be back soon - the huge bean field is only half harvested. I'm going to check out the local farmer's market this weekend and see if we have fresh, local beans for sale!