Posted March 28th, 2022
tHANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR open-pollinated CORN
Update as of March 24, 2023:
We are only selling Jimmy Red Seed corn through the remainder of this season. We keep some corn in stock in our store (where we ship), and the remainder of it is at the farm where we pick up weekly. Depending on the volume of internet orders at any given time, your order may be filled in a day or two with store inventory or may take up to a week if we have to replenish corn inventory from the farm before shipping. We appreciate your patience. We are a full service brick and mortar independent farm supply. We are not Amazon.
About Our Corn
Both our Jimmy Red and Blue Clarage corn are open-pollinated and heirloom. Open-pollinated seeds tend to have a wider variety of genetics than hybrids and can perform inconsistently when planted. Our seed corn is particularly unique because it was grown and harvested just north of us at Bender Farms in Warren County, NC. (Jeff Bender of Bender Farms is also the farmer responsible for our private line of Non GMO feeds.) Jeff and his crew hand selected ears from strong performing stalks during the previous year’s harvest, and therefore, the generation of seed you are getting is better adapted for our local climate. We highly recommend it for planting in the Southeast.
We are selling both seed quality kernels for planting in fields and gardens as well as corn intended for milling, distilling, and brewing. The main difference between our seed quality corn and milling/distilling corn deals with handling. Seed corn is hand harvested and hand shelled making it much more expensive due to increased labor. This year's seed corn tested incredibly high in germination: Blue Clarage (96%) and Jimmy Red (95%). The milling/distilling corn has been mechanically harvested and shelled. Although you may sort through and find some whole kernels in there for planting, most of it will be cracked and unsuitable for germinating.
How to Use:
- Make killer cornbreads, hush puppies, and grits (Mill in a coffee grinder, Vitamix, or tabletop corn grinder)
- Use for craft distilling and brewing
- Harvest in the milk stage for roasting
- Plant in a Three Sisters patch (corn, beans, and squash)
- Grow for a splash of fun, fall decorating; it’s stunning!
How To Plant In a Garden Space:
- 12” spacing on rows, 30-36” between rows (Figure 10 pounds per acre as a seeding rate)
- Plant in a square plot rather than a couple of rows to encourage pollination
- 80-100 units of Nitrogen per acre (~2 units of Nitrogen per 1000sq.ft) Resist over-fertilizing as it will cause corn to grow too tall and fall over.
- 95-115 Day Maturity
Our Corn Is Untreated! Store Accordingly:
We have made a conscious decision NOT to treat this corn with pesticides. In warm conditions, (a heated kitchen pantry), weevil eggs can hatch. Maybe you've experienced this with flour or corn meal that sits too long. We believe the majority of our customers don't want to consume pesticide residue, even though this may be a common agricultural practice in grain preservation. We have also had organic growers reach out to us requesting untreated seed corn for planting. We recommend storing your corn in a cool location to prolong its life (i.e. cold storage, freezer, basement, etc).
ABOUT OUR JIMMY RED CORN
Jimmy Red is an open pollinated, heirloom, vibrant-red, dent corn. Jimmy Red seed nearly went extinct in the early 2000s when the last SC bootlegger growing it passed away, but it’s made a comeback and is now hot on the culinary and spirits scene. We’ve heard it makes a mean cornbread but also has an unusually high Brix content for field corn and therefore can also be harvested in the milk stage for roasting. It has a uniquely large germ giving it a more pronounced flavor than other field corns.
Check out this NPR Story: From Hooch to Haute Cuisine: A Nearly Extinct Bootlegger’s Corn Gets a Second Shot
Jeff Bender in one of his corn fields.
about our blue clarage corn
Blue Clarage is a solid blue, uniform corn that although used as a meal and feed corn, has a higher sugar content than most dent corns. As such, you can eat it as table corn in its milk stage. It makes a speckled blue and white flour and a distinctly sweet cornbread. It is also highly regarded among distillers. Blue Clarage was commonly grown in Ohio in the 1920s and is said to have been an excellent feed for cattle and poultry. Chicken farmers claim that feeding blue dent corn increases egg and meat production. Try it, and let us know what you think!
Pricing of Jimmy Red and blue clarage corn (for Seeding)
Corn intended for replanting has been hand harvested, shucked, and selected from the middle of the ear for consistent kernel size and ease of use with a seed planter. Samples have been sent to the NCDA, and seed comes with a tag noting purity, test date, and germ rate.
- By the Ounce - $3.00 (80-100 kernels per oz)
- 1 pound - $20
- 5 pounds - $40
- 10 pounds - $60
- 25 pounds - $100
- 50 pounds - $200
Pricing of Jimmy Red and blue clarage corn (for Milling, Distilling, and Brewing)
Corn intended for milling, distilling, and brewing comes from the ends and middle of the ears and can have variability in kernel size. It is mechanically harvested unlike the seed corn which is hand harvested. Your bag will contain a mix of whole and cracked kernels. This corn is intended for processing and consuming rather than planting.
- 2.5 pounds - $12
- 5 pounds - $18
- 10 pounds - $25
- 25 pounds - $35
- 50 pounds - $70
shipping in the continental us:
Shipping will be charged as follows regardless of zip code. The maximum weight per box is 50lb. Shipping 250 pounds or less is best shipped in boxes. Orders over 250lbs is best shipped LTL on a pallet. For orders of 250+ pounds, contact Melinda directly at melinda@chathamfarmsupply.com for a flat rate LTL shipping quote.
- 1 pound or less - UPS small box - $10.99
- 1.5 pounds - 10 pounds - UPS medium box - $17.99
- 25 pounds - UPS large box - $23.99
- 50 pounds - UPS X-large box - $35.99
We are currently harvesting this year's crop!
As corn is harvested, shelled, and cleaned, orders will be processed and shipped out. Expect a two week lead time between placing orders and your order shipping out.
