Glass Gem

[digitS']

"One little ear that's now changing the world... and has, in the end, been called the poster child for the whole return to heirloom seeds."

NPR - link

digitS'

 

[Zeedman]

It is a beautiful corn - and a lot of people are now growing it - but I think the article exaggerates its contribution to the seed saving movement. IMO Painted Mountain has been equally important, and is probably more useful.

 

[thistlebloom]

Painted Mtn. has my vote.

 

[baymule]

Mine too! I can’t use flint corn in my grain mill, so won’t be growing glass gem no matter how pretty it is.

 

[thistlebloom]

Mine too! I can’t use flint corn in my grain mill, so won’t be growing glass gem no matter how pretty it is.

Bay, I have a gallon of IdaTex kernels from this years crop. Let me know if you need some.
They didn't do phenomenally well, but most stalks had two ears. I am blaming the maple trees growing next to the garden fence. They are shading and sucking nutrients and moisture from my garden on that side. DH said we could move the garden and my brain immediately got exhausted at the visualization of that. But I certainly have enough to make several batches of cornbread and more than enough to replant.

 

[baymule]

Mine all died. We had drought and I couldn’t water it enough. I still have your seed and mine, I’ll try again in the spring. Glad you got enough for cornbread, it makes the best! I have some Texas Gourdseed corn, it’s taken me 4 years to track down, I didn’t plant it after seeing how the garden was dying. I have plenty seed if you want some. It is a white dent corn.

 

[thistlebloom]

Mine all died. We had drought and I couldn’t water it enough. I still have your seed and mine, I’ll try again in the spring. Glad you got enough for cornbread, it makes the best! I have some Texas Gourdseed corn, it’s taken me 4 years to track down, I didn’t plant it after seeing how the garden was dying. I have plenty seed if you want some. It is a white dent corn.

I'd love that, I remember your post about it. Unfortunately I barely have enough season to grow PM.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Glass Gem is beautiful, but have very much loved Painted Mountain, Bloody Butcher, and Blue Hopi. Hastings Prolific did the best for our area especially in times of drought. But heirloom corn in itself is a wonderful thing, let alone any heirloom seed. Here's hoping more folks get into preserving these great heirlooms.