One caveat to growing dry beans: buying them in the grocery store is much cheaper (they're dirt cheap), but you don't have very many choices.
I've only been seriously growing dry beans for the last couple of years. Last year I grew a fair amount of Vermont Cranberry; this year Tiger's Eye and Canary were my larger crops. Also Sieva lima bean (pole habit).
I grew smaller crops (to increase my seed stock and try some in cooking) of Good Mother Stallard and Hidatsu Shield Figure. I use other types as dry beans as well--this year I saved Tobacco Worm, Jimenez (love these in green pod stage), Uncle Steve's Italian pole, and Kentucky Blue. I haven't cooked any of the Good Mother Stallard yet, but the Hidatsu Shield Figure and Tiger's Eye beans were great.
Haven't decided yet what new-to-me to trial next year for dry beans. I do plan to do a larger planting of Good Mother Stallard and Hidatsu Shield Figure. I have to admit, the pretty ones really appeal to me.
