Oaxacan Green Corn Grown For Green Flour Tamales

Oaxacan Green Corn Grown For Green Flour Tamales CROPS Miscellaneous A green-kernel heirloom corn that originated in southern Mexico is gaining in popularity in the U S primarily because of the tasty tortillas and tamales its flour makes and also for its use as a fall-season ornamental
    Oaxacan Green Dent Corn is a 95-day variety sold by Seed Savers Exchange Decorah Iowa The Seed Savers catalog offers this description: “Oaxacan Green Dent Zea mays was grown for centuries by the Zapotec Indians where it’s used to make green-flour tamales It’s traditionally grown with squash and beans which climb up the corn stalks Drought-resistant sturdy 7-ft plants produce emerald green kernels on 10-in ears 75 to 100 days ”
    Tom Wahlberg Seed Savers Seed House Manager says the company sells approximately 500 lbs of Oaxacan Green Dent Corn seed per year and the volume is growing Seed Savers grows its own seed “having made intensive selections over the past several years to improve coloration and ensure GMO-free ” Wahlberg says the majority of their Green Dent Corn is sold to the Pacific Northwest where “the shorter-day corn still yields well and matures ”
    Seed savers is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing some 20 000 varieties of heirloom seeds Their mission is to “conserve and promote America’s culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations by collecting growing and sharing heirloom seeds and plants ”
    Seed Savers stores varieties in back-up locations at the USDA Seed Bank in Fort Collins Colo and at Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway These off-site deposits remain the property of Seed Savers Exchange according to the website
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Seed Savers Exchange 3094 N Winn Rd Decorah Iowa 52101 ph 563 382-5990; www seedsavers org

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.