Al, nice to hear of your progress.
In close-up they look a bit horrid, its black aphids, known as blackfly, which arrive mostly on plants stressed by dry conditions, and in fine weather. They suck sap without killing plants.
I have a few on some climbing French beans but the crop is still good.
You could pinch off affected stems with the worst clusters, or spray them off with water and hose down the row from either side will help. Water is best answer.
