Pick Beans in the Shade

My uncle shared this bright idea, which he found in The Progressive Farmer years ago. I grow and can pole beans, with Smeraldo being my favorite. The panels are 16 feet long x 50 inches wide. This looks similar to the top of a covered wagon without the canvas.

Lay cattle panels flat in the garden, side by side. Drive a piece of rebar on the outside about 6 inches in from the short end of the panel and then drive another rebar on the other end. We use 2 pieces of rebar per short end (4 total per panel.). Hubby does all the rebar on one side at one time. Then he moves down to the other end and picks up the whole panel. Raise it up and start pushing up and walking at same time to make it start bowing up. I'm glad I have a strong husband as I sure couldn't do this by myself. Put the end down where you want a "row" of beans to be. Do the same with the rebar on the other side. We make ours about 6 feet tall. I plant my bean seeds on the outside edges. That gives me enough headspace to walk through and pick beans in the shade. We're getting a later start this year because of the week of rain.