Lofthouse High Carotene Flint Corn

 Zea mays subsp. mays

Origin: Paradise, Utah

Improvement status: Landrace

Seeds per packet: ~100

Germination tested 11/2020: 97%

Life cycle: Annual

Another gem from Joseph Lofthouse, Landrace Seedsman, in high-altitude Paradise, Utah. Like all of Joseph's seeds, these are super resilient and contain a great diversity of genes. From Joseph:

"A sister-line selected from 'Harmony Grain' Maize. An ancestor was Cateto, a South American race of corn with high carotene levels. The most exciting trait offered by this corn is high concentrations of carotenes. If this corn is fed to poultry, the carotenes end up in their eggs — so colorful, and Mmm Mmm Mmmm! Selection is ongoing for ever oranger coloration. Variety preservation protocol: Cull any cobs with white kernels or colored pericarp [hard outer coat]. Cull any kernels with purple or gray coloration. Selected by Joseph Lofthouse in collaboration with ten-thousand years worth of illiterate plant breeders. The high carotene trait is an ancient public domain trait that is obvious and not novel, making this trait inelligible for patenting."

We're honored and grateful to be the near-exclusive source of Joseph's amazing seeds — freeing him up to do more farming, plant breeding, pickling, yoga, and loving — and we know you will enjoy planting them. Thanks Joseph!

GROWING TIPS: Plant about the time apple trees are flowering. Allow about 2.5 square feet per plant. (Thin to 1 foot spacing in rows 30" apart.) For best pollination, plant in blocks of multiple rows rather than single long rows.