Open-Pollinated Corn Market Growing
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Since the Borries family and their open-pollinated seed corn business first appeared in FARM SHOW 20 years ago, sales have doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 bushels/year. The Teutopolis, Ill., family business still grows the same four varieties, which they sell to a broad spectrum of customers. Though they don’t have a website, articles about them have appeared on the internet, and they have sold seed to every state and around the world.
Gerald Borries, who runs the business with his brother, Leonard, and their 89-year-old father, Joseph, emphasizes that the varieties are most suitable for silage, fed as livestock grain or grown for wildlife. With their highest yield of 100 bushels/acre, open-pollinated varieties can’t compete with hybrids for growers who raise cash crops. But palatability, nutrition (7.7 to 11.3 percent protein) and cost brings customers – especially dairy producers – back year after year.
The beauty of open-pollinated varieties is that corn can be saved from the harvest each year to plant the following year. While some customers do that, most don’t take the time because the Borries only charge $50/bushel plus shipping.
The Borries raise their seed corn on 50 to 60 acres (yellow varieties Henry Moore, Reid’s Yellow Dent, and Krug; and one white variety, Boone County White). Boone County can grow up to 16 ft. tall and the others grow 12 ft. tall.
The Borries handpick the best ears for seed to sell. They use the same equipment they’ve used for years; Deere 60 and Farmall 400 tractors and two-row corn pickers. They run ears of corn through a motorized sheller, and size the kernels on a grader before sacking up the seed.
They plant 40 rows of buffer corn next to other farmers’ cornfields to keep strains from crossing.
“No GMO traits have been found in testing,” Borries says, adding they don’t guarantee their seed is totally GMO free. Still, they have maintained the open-pollinated traits since the late 60’s. At that time, Joseph purchased corn from an elderly gentleman who had received seed corn as a wedding gift around 1920 and saved seed to plant every year.
When corn blight hit hybrid varieties in 1970, farmers took a renewed interested in old-fashioned, open-pollinated varieties, which weren’t affected by the blight.
“Cost of the seed is a big advantage. We sell to dryland farmers out West who are prepared to take less yield for less input. We tell them that manure is enough,” Borries says. “Wisconsin is one of our biggest states because it has lots of dairymen. We get lots of compliments on our silage, which has higher protein, lysine and trace elements.”
The main disadvantage of open-pollinated varieties is they don’t have the same stalk strength as hybrids. That makes the stalk more digestible, but susceptible to going down faster in bad weather.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Borries Farm, 16293 E. 1400th Ave., Teutopolis, Ill. 62467 (ph 217 857-3377).
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Open-Pollinated Corn Market Growing CROPS Miscellaneous Since the Borries family and their open-pollinated seed corn business first appeared in FARM SHOW 20 years ago sales have doubled from 1 000 to 2 000 bushels/year The Teutopolis Ill family business still grows the same four varieties which they sell to a broad spectrum of customers Though they don’t have a website articles about them have appeared on the internet and they have sold seed to every state and around the world Gerald Borries who runs the business with his brother Leonard and their 89-year-old father Joseph emphasizes that the varieties are most suitable for silage fed as livestock grain or grown for wildlife With their highest yield of 100 bushels/acre open-pollinated varieties can’t compete with hybrids for growers who raise cash crops But palatability nutrition 7 7 to 11 3 percent protein and cost brings customers – especially dairy producers – back year after year The beauty of open-pollinated varieties is that corn can be saved from the harvest each year to plant the following year While some customers do that most don’t take the time because the Borries only charge $50/bushel plus shipping The Borries raise their seed corn on 50 to 60 acres yellow varieties Henry Moore Reid’s Yellow Dent and Krug; and one white variety Boone County White Boone County can grow up to 16 ft tall and the others grow 12 ft tall The Borries handpick the best ears for seed to sell They use the same equipment they’ve used for years; Deere 60 and Farmall 400 tractors and two-row corn pickers They run ears of corn through a motorized sheller and size the kernels on a grader before sacking up the seed They plant 40 rows of buffer corn next to other farmers’ cornfields to keep strains from crossing “No GMO traits have been found in testing ” Borries says adding they don’t guarantee their seed is totally GMO free Still they have maintained the open-pollinated traits since the late 60’s At that time Joseph purchased corn from an elderly gentleman who had received seed corn as a wedding gift around 1920 and saved seed to plant every year When corn blight hit hybrid varieties in 1970 farmers took a renewed interested in old-fashioned open-pollinated varieties which weren’t affected by the blight “Cost of the seed is a big advantage We sell to dryland farmers out West who are prepared to take less yield for less input We tell them that manure is enough ” Borries says “Wisconsin is one of our biggest states because it has lots of dairymen We get lots of compliments on our silage which has higher protein lysine and trace elements ” The main disadvantage of open-pollinated varieties is they don’t have the same stalk strength as hybrids That makes the stalk more digestible but susceptible to going down faster in bad weather Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Borries Farm 16293 E 1400th Ave Teutopolis Ill 62467 ph 217 857-3377
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