In a large kettle, cover beans with 6-8 cups of hot water. Bring to a boil; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand one hour. Add another 2 quarts of cold water and a ham bone. Bring to a boil and simmer about an hour. Stir in remaining ingredients. Continue simmering 20-30 minutes, or until beans and veggies are tender. Remove ham bone. After letting it cool a bit, trim off meat and return the meat to the soup. Makes about 3 quarts of soup.