Oldest U.S. Corn Making A Comeback

Oldest U S Corn Making A Comeback CROPS Miscellaneous It’s likely you have never heard of Chapalote corn despite the fact that it’s the oldest known variety of U S corn going back 4 000 years It was found in the arid regions of Arizona With renewed interest in local foods and heritage seeds farmers and organizations in that region are growing Chapalote again and discovering that it’s a variety worth saving “It has a number of interesting features ” says Chris Schmidt Ph D Director of Conservation for Native Seeds/SEARCH “It’s very drought tolerant so it’s good in arid regions It’s productive nutritious and delicious with a unique brown color ” Because it’s a flint corn Chapalote kernels can be popped but they tend to be very crunchy It’s usually toasted then ground into flour “Traditionally it was eaten raw as trail food ” Schmidt says “It’s delicious and has a nice sweetness and smokiness People also bake with it ” Native Seeds/SEARCH received a grant to work with growers to increase the seed base and experiment with best growing methods They’re doing similar studies with White Sonora wheat brought into the U S in the late 17th Century by Spanish missionaries “The idea is to have a more sustainable and more resilient agricultural system based on arid-adapted crops ” Schmidt notes Arizona gardeners interested in growing Chapalote should contact Native Seeds/SEARCH about packets and bulk quantities of seed available for sale Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Chris Schmidt Native Seeds/SEARCH 3584 E River Rd Tucson Arizona 85718 ph 520 622-0830; www nativeseeds org

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