Comments Off on

seedkeeping:

My first time growing Teosinte, which is Corn’s ancestor. Well, I’m not sure which Teosinte species this is as I got it from @dinhteresting and @lorrieclevenger at @ucscfarm, simply labeled “Teosinte”. Corn is one of the most domesticated plants – there are no wild forms that look anything like it. It is estimated that beginning about 9,000 years ago, it took at least several hundred if not a few thousand years for people in what is now southern Mexico to transform Teosinte (which has very few hard-shelled kernels that shatter into individual seeds) into Corn (which has very many juicy kernels neatly and securely arranged along a cob). Many people these days stress the importance of knowing where our food comes from, table to plate, but I think we must go deeper and thank the hundreds of generations of farmers who brought plants from the wild and selectively and naturally bred the amazing foods we eat today. This Teosinte is cool because it helps me be that much more grateful for an abundant and delicious ear of Corn. #teosinte #corn #zea #zeamays @bartramsfarm #seedkeeping #seedsaving #plantbreeding #selectivebreeding