a new corn, bred for organic farms and gardens, tells a bigger story

Organic seed commands a premium price, and limits my choices of vegetable varieties, but as regular readers know, I prefer it. I believe seed bred and raised under organic conditions is the best match for my organic garden’s conditions, and also want to vote with my dollars of demand to help create supply.

Having the right seed can provide farmers with the genetic tools to confront day-to-day challenges in the field, so to organic farmers, limited selection and higher prices in organic seed represent a far greater obstacle than to a gardener. Despite the phenomenal growth of the organic-foods industry, the supply of organic seed falls far short of demand–presenting a barrier to the expansion and success of organic farming. Meaning: Many organic foods didn’t start with organic seed.

‘Who Get’s Kissed?,’ the new organic sweet corn created in collaboration with Organic Seed Alliance, an organic farmer in Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, meant to do just that: to meet the organic grower’s needs.

Longtime corn breeder Bill Tracy (below), Agronomy Department chairman at Wisconsin-Madison and one partner behind the new variety, shared a glimpse of just what goes into creating such seeds. He also offered tips on growing great corn, as we kick off seed-catalog season on the blog and public-radio show. Listen in now, or read on, or both.

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