Harvest a bit of history with these rare and unique Native American corn varieties.
Once commonly known as Indian corn, the full breadth of maize extends far beyond the colorful ornamental ears many people recognize today. While those vividly patterned cobs still capture attention, they represent only a small piece of corn’s diversity. For thousands of years, Indigenous farmers across the Americas developed corn for specific uses—nutty flour corns for grinding and baking, hardy flint corns for storage and cooking, soft gummy (floury) corns prized for porridges, and popping corns long before modern hybrids existed. Together, these varieties tell a deeper story of corn as a foundational food crop, shaped by place, culture, and careful selection.
As this season wraps up, we’re taking some time to reflect on the garden—what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons we learned along the way. And this year, one lesson came in the form of a very large, very hungry green caterpillar. The tomato hornworm can be astonishingly destructive, and yet it's also an important pollinator. Join us as we share the results of our (mostly) hands-off experiment in natural pest control.
Fermentation is a centuries-old method of preserving the harvest. But recent research suggests that when those vegetables are harvested can have a surprising impact on the quality of the finished ferment. In this week’s post, we’re exploring how frost may alter the flavor, nutrition, and probiotic potential of fermented foods.
Carrots—when it comes to vegetables that actually improve in cold weather, there is probably no better example. In this week's article, we'll cover some of the science behind cold acclimation and how gardeners can use this natural adaption to grow the sweetest carrots possible.
