Corn, Magic Manna

Zea mays

Beautiful, admirably tidy, early-maturing flour corn.

The story of corn and people is a beautiful one of co-creation. Thousands of years ago, Indigenous people in modern day Central America worked side-by-side with a wild grass named Teosinte until it became what we know as maize, or corn. From there, it traveled north and south all over the Western hemisphere along trade routes, and hundreds of different indigenous groups adapted it for their unique place on earth, where it shaped their diets and cultures. For thousands of years, Native communities have cared for their maize despite colonizers trying to separate them from it in order to control them. Both the corn and the corn stewards have survived, and it is through the generosity of both of them that we have the gift of corn today.

Most recently, this corn Magic Manna was bred by Carol Deppe to ripen early in cold weather and for superior flavor in cooking. Cobs are solid white, red, tan, or pink. Deppe claims each color lends itself best to certain dishes--white for pancakes, tan for gravy, red for parching. All have a wonderful, aromatic flavor. Plants are short (4-6' tall) and cobs long, thin, and very early maturing similar to its parent, Painted Mountain.

Seeds grown by Banbury Farm in Buhl, Idaho.

70 seeds

OSSI-pledged

Bred by Carol Deppe

Directions: Direct seed after last frost. Corn is wind pollinated and should be planted in at least 4'x4' blocks to achieve full cobs. Harvest when cobs have dried completely on plant.