When you think of corn, you might imagine the typical yellow kernels that are so common in grocery stores. But there is one corn variety that stands out from the rest with its stunning rainbow colors, and that is the Glass Gem corn.
The story behind this unique corn variety began with Oklahoma farmer, Carl Barnes, who was exploring his Native American roots. Barnes started growing older corn varieties as a way to reconnect with his heritage and had a talent for selecting and saving seed from cobs that exhibited vivid, translucent colors. Over time, this resulted in rainbow-colored corn.
Barnes was able to isolate ancestral corn types that had been lost to Native American tribes when they were relocated to what is now Oklahoma in the 1800s. He exchanged ancient corn seeds with people he met and made friends with all over the country. After many years of careful selection and replanting, his efforts created the wondrous corn that we know as Glass Gem.
Greg Schoen, a fellow farmer, met Barnes in 1994 at a native-plant gathering in Oklahoma and was blown away by the rainbow-colored corn on display. Barnes gave Schoen some of the rainbow seed, and they remained close friends over the years, with Schoen receiving more samples of the rainbow seed.
Initially, Schoen only grew small amounts of the colorful corn in New Mexico, but in 2005, he began growing larger plots of the rainbow corn near Santa Fe, alongside more traditional varieties. As the rainbow corn mixed with traditional varieties, new strains emerged with more vibrant colors and vivid patterns. Schoen took to naming the various colors and patterns that emerged.
In 2007, Schoen grew a blue-green and pink-purple corn that he named “Glass Gems.” This particular corn variety went viral in 2012, turning the unique-colored corn into an Internet sensation.
Since then, Glass Gem has undergone even more selection and perfection to become the flawless rainbow it is today. The story of this unique corn variety is not just about its beauty, but also about the passion and dedication of Carl Barnes, Greg Schoen, and others who have worked to preserve and promote it.
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