Rare Corn Variety “Discovered” In South Carolina

Rare Corn Variety “Discovered” In South Carolina CROPS New Crops A rare heirloom corn variety developed on Thomas Jefferson’s farm in the early 1800’s has been located on a small South Carolina farm Cockes Prolific Corn has been grown continuously for the last 70 years by 95-year-old Manning Farmer who lives near Landrum Seedsmen across the country thought the variety had been extinct since the mid-1940’s It was discovered after a 30-year search by Dr David Shields a University of South Carolina professor who heads a foundation that identifies catalogs and returns heirloom foods to production To locate the missing variety Shields had posted on his Facebook page for information on the “10 Most Wanted Lost Southern Foods” Angie Lavezzo of the Sow True Seed Company saw the post and wrote Shields saying she’d bought a white dent called Cox Prolific on Craigslist and wondered if it was the same variety The two arranged to meet Farmer who was the seller and learn how he came to grow the corn “We were amazed to find he’d been growing it continuously since the 1930’s ” Shields says After their meeting Shields contacted the Jefferson Library and received confirmation that the corn variety was indeed developed by John Hartwell Cockes one of Jefferson’s lead gardeners at Monticello It soon became one of the leading corn varieties in the South because of its reliable high yields and outstanding flavor when used for grits As other varieties became more popular Cockes Prolific fell out of use during WWII Shields says he was surprised to learn that Farmer had last purchased new Cockes seed in the 1930’s Farmer worked his land for years with mules planting the corn in 40-in rows on small fields amounting to about 16 acres He harvested and re-used the seed every year and knew it was pure because other corn wasn’t grown nearby Now he uses a small tractor for tillage and planting but Cockes Prolific remains his seed corn of choice Shields says Cockes Prolific isn’t sweet corn but the open-pollinated variety can be eaten right off the ear for a couple days right after pollination After that it becomes too tough The soft dent variety matures in 112 to 115 days producing white flint corn kernels that are ideal for grinding into meal and hominy grits The variety produces two or more extra-long ears per stalk and grows about 6 to 7 ft tall Farmer sells Cockes Prolific seed for $15 a pint or $25 a quart Packets are also available online from Angie Lavezzo at Sow True Seed in Asheville North Carolina Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dr David Shields University of South Carolina dsheilds@mailbox sc edu or Sow True Seed ph 828 254-0708; www sowtrueseed com

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