Untitled Document
 When
you think of corn, what color comes to your mind? As you know, corn
is usually yellow in color. Recently, colorful corn appeared in the world! A
nonprofit organization which
seeks to preserve the agricultural heritage of the Native Americans,
Native Seeds/SEARCH, put on online sale a special corn named “Glass
Gem corn.”
As expected, it has got an explosive response from customers
around the nation! The corn looks as if it is set with jewels. But
it is an edible agricultural product.
 How was it born?
It has a long story! The multi-colored Glass Gem corn was originated
by Cherokee Indian farmer Charles Barnes from Oklahoma. He noticed that some cobs often
included colorful ears of corn. Shortly before he died, Mr
Barnes passed on his seed collection and breeding know-how to his
friend, Greg Schoen. Then, Schoen gave the seeds to Bill McDorman,
owner of a small seed company in Arizona.
“I was blown away. No one had ever seen corn like this before,” said
McDorman, now the executive director of Native Seeds. He added that
they have used the sales proceeds to preserve native seeds.
You can now purchase some of the seeds
for $7.95 (W8,500) per packet! Would you like to buy some? |
Senior
staff reporter Ellina Bae
(ellinabae@timescore.co.kr)
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