PlanterTomato Vegetable Gardening

How To Choose Sweet Corn Varieties

In this posting, I'll describe the historical development of sweet corn and describe various the various categories that are available to home vegetable gardeners.

The History of Sweet Corn

Corn has been cultivated in the Americas for somewhere between 8,000-10,000 years.  For most of that history, the corn grown was high in starch and low in sugar. Generally referred to today as "field corn," this type of starchy corn is traditionally used to make a variety of foods such as corn bread, tortillas, tamales, polenta, and hominy. It is also used as fodder for animals. (For more information about these starchy corn varieties, check out my posting on dent and flint corn)

Sweet corn is a naturally occurring mutation of field corn.  A change in just one gene within the corn plant results in an increase of sugar content from 4% in field corn varieties to over 10% in most modern sweet corn.

There is debate among scholars as to when this mutation occurred, but at least some scholars believe that the first sweet corn mutations occurred over 1,000 years ago in the area around Peru and Bolivia.  Research done by Paul Frederick on the growth of the New England Corn Industry suggests that native Americans in the U.S. also cultivated some sweet corn, but it was not a particularly important crop relative to field corn varieties.  Frederic's explanation for this is that native peoples were less interested in growing sweet corn because it is less hardy than field corn and because the sweetness declines rapidly once the corn has reached maturity, thereby eliminating any flavor advantage of sweet corn over field corn.  In other words, from the perspective of flavor, it reverts to the flavor of field corn so quickly that the trade off in hardiness wasn't worth it.

Photo: Mayan Corn God

According, A. T. Erwin who wrote a book about the history of the canned corn industry, sweet corn as we know it today has it's origins in New England.  Erwin believes that sweet corn was introduced into Plymouth, Massachusetts by the Iroquois in 1779.

Diorama of Iroquois growing corn

Various Types Of Sweet Corn

• Sugary Corn - Sugary, or "SU" corn varieties, were the original sweet corns.  These corn varieties currently have sugar content of 9-16%, a major increase versus field corn that has 4% sugar.  SU corn tends to be hardy, but as mentioned above, it losses its sweetness very quickly once the corn has matured or been picked.  As a result, SU corns need to be consumed immediately upon harvest, or preserved by canning or freezing.  One key advantage of SU varieties is that they are able to germinate in cooler soils, so they may be a good choice for you if you are a Northern gardener.  SU varieties also tend to have the tenderest kernels and some folks claim the most authentic corn taste. Common SU varieties include: Silver Queen, Country Gentleman, Golden Bantam and Jubilee.

Silver Queen

• Sugar Enhanced - Sugar Enhanced, or "SE" corn varieties were developed at the University of Illinois during the 1950's. They have an additional gene that expresses sweetness in corn.   These varieties are 14-35% sugar. Importantly, they retain that sweetness for up to 4 days after harvest or maturity.  This makes SE varieties an excellent choice for home gardeners. One downside is that SE varieties are less tender than their SU cousins. Some well known varieties include: Bodacious, Kandy Korn, Maple Sweet, Tuxedo, and Peaches & Cream.

Peaches & Cream

• Super Sweet - Super Sweet, or "SH2" corn was also developed at the University of Illinois in the 1950's.  Super Sweet varieties have massive sugar content -- 28-44% and they tend to retain this sweetness for an extremely long period of time - up to 10 days after maturity or harvest.  Fans of Super Sweet corn will tell you that kernels are crisp, while detractors view SH2 kernels as tough. Common SH2 varieties include: Illini Gold, How Sweet It Is, and Early Xtra Sweet.

Early Xtra Sweet

• Synergistic - "SY" corn is a hybrid cross between SH2 and SE corn varieties that produces some characteristics of both. Specifically, the tenderness and flavor of SE varieties with the increased sugar content and storage capabilities of SH2 corns.  Some examples include: Montauk, BoJangles, Honey Select, and Applause.

Montauk

• Bt and Round Up Ready - These are sweet corn varieties that are genetically modified for use by commercial agriculture. I am listing these here because GMO's, or genetically modified organisms, are a hot topic in the news these days and because there have been reports that Bt corn may soon be available for sale to consumers at Wal-Mart. Genetically modified corn varieties are ones where an additional gene has been introduced to the plant in order to provide it with resistance to pests, pesticides or herbicides.  In the case of Bt corn, genes from the bacteria Bacillius Thuringiensis are introduced to the corn plant in order to make corn toxic to corn borers, a variety of insect that damages corn crops.  Round Up Ready corn is sweet corn that has been modified with the genes from Agrobacterium Sp. CP4. This gene conveys resistance to the herbicide glyphosate (Round Up).  This allows farmers to spray their fields with Round Up to kill weeds while leaving the Round Up Ready corn plants unharmed.  Kinda like the neutron bomb that kills people but leaves the building intact.

Corn Borer

Other Choices

When you shop for sweet corn for your garden, you will be faced with color and maturity choices that cut across all the groups.  So if you only like white or bi-color varieties you will be able to find some that are SU, SE, SH2 or SY.  The same applies to early and main season varieties.

• Maturity - Early season varieties mature in 65-75 days while main season corn takes 75-100 days depending on variety and your climate.
• Color - Sweet corn comes in yellow, white, bi-color and in rare instances other colors such as blue or red.

Cross Pollination Issues

While not specifically related to particular styles of corn, I want to make you aware of this issue as you plan your garden. Corn is pollinated by the action of the wind taking pollen from the tassels of the plant to the silk on the immature ear.  

As a result, corn crops can easily be cross-pollinated by other varieties if they are planted too close.  Such cross pollination can effect the color of the corn (for example, a white corn variety will produce yellow or bi-color kernels) or the flavor and texture of the corn can be negatively impacted (For example, SH2 varieties that are cross pollinated end up very tough and starchy). 

A general rule of thumb is to separate corn varieties by either time or distance.  If you are growing two varieties, select ones that mature at different times - for example a 70 day variety and a 90 day variety. Tassel formation and pollination will occur at different times, reducing the likelihood of cross pollination between the two varieties. Alternatively, plant different varieties in fields that are 250 feet apart. There will be some cross pollination at this distance, but not sufficient to materially impact the crop.  If you want to completely isolate your corn crop, separate fields by at least 700 feet.

Choosing Tomatoes: Heirloom, Hybrid and Open Pollinated Explained

There are thousands of known tomato varieties so it's not surprising that gardeners can be confused by the options that are open to them.  In this posting, I explain the the terminology used in catalogs and seed packs to describe tomatoes so that it's easy for folks to sort through the various choices.

Determinate versus Indeterminate -- All tomatoes are either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes grow to a specific height - usually about 4 feet tall - and then stop and they produce their entire crop of tomatoes in a short period of time.  Determinate tomatoes are often good choices for container gardeners because the plants are small and require minimal staking.  Gardeners who want to harvest determinate tomatoes over the course of the summer should plant determinate seeds every two weeks to create a continuous crop.

In contrast, indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow over the course of the entire summer.  As the tomato plant vines, it produces flowers on the new growth and these eventually turn into tomatoes.  That means that an indeterminate tomato will produce as long as the vine is growing. Unlike determinate varieites, there's no need to stagger the planting of indeterminate varieties.  One potential downside is that indeterminate tomatoes will grow much taller than determinate varieties (8 feet or more) so they do require staking.  

The choice between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes really boils down to this.....If you want to plant tomatoes in containers and/or want to harvest all the tomatoes at the same time because you intend to can them, purchase determinate tomato varieties such as: Grushovka, Principe Borghese, Rutgers, San Marzano, or Taxi.  If not, then purchase an indeterminate variety such as: Jetsetter, Brandywine, Amish Paste, Risentraube, or Green Zebra.  You can also plant a mix of both determinate and indeterminate varieties to suit your needs.

Open Pollinated versus Hybrid:  Open pollinated tomatoes are ones where the seeds planted in this generation will produce plants and fruits that are identical to those produced by the preceding generation (the plant's parents). 

Hybrids tomatoes are ones that are created by crossing two different tomato varieties together.  In other words, they are mutts. Seed companies create hybrid varieties because each of the parents has a particular characteristic that is desirable and that they wish to combine into a single plant.  For example, two varieties might be crossed in order to capture the color of one parent and the disease resistance of the other.  While the "child plant" inherits these qualities, the child will not consistently pass these qualities on to the next generation.  And there's the rub.... hybrid varieties may have very desirable qualities, but you can't save the seeds and plant them the following year and get the same results.  You have to buy new hybrid seeds (cross between the original parents) each year. 

If you don't mind buying seeds each year, the distinction between hybrid and open pollinated doesn't matter when choosing varieties for your garden.  If, on the other hand, you want to save seeds, you must choose an open pollinated variety. 

Heirloom versus Non-Heirloom - Heirloom tomatoes are open pollinated varieties that have been grown for a long time.  (For example, the Brandywine tomato was developed in the 1880's.) The exact time frame required to acheive "heirloom status" is debated, with some claiming 100 years old, others 50 years old, and others still setting a date prior to World War II as the cut off point. 

In the last few years, heirloom tomatoes have become the rage among gardeners.  The reasons for this are rather complex and have a much to do with concerns about modern commercial agriculture, genetically modified organisms and big agribusiness companies like Monsanto. Heirloom tomatoes have the reputation for tasting better than hybrids but there really is no reason that this must be true. 

What is more generally true is that hybrid varieties developed for commercial growers were bred for characteristics that made them less perishable and easier to ship.  These characteristics are important to farmers who are interested in transporting crops over long distances.  Unfortunately, commercial hybrid varieties traded off flavor and texture in order to be less perishable and easier to ship.  That's one of the reasons that tomatoes from the supermarket taste so lousy. 

In contrast, hybrid tomatoes sold to backyard gardeners from companies such as Burpee, Tomato Growers Supply, Renee's Seeds and others are not bred for their ability to withstand shipment.  These hybrid varieties can be just as tasty as an heirloom varieties.

Here's my recommendation --  make heirlooms varieties your first choice because it gives you the option to save the seeds and because there really are plenty of good varieties from which to choose.  However, don't be so inflexible that you wont ever consider buying a hybrid variety when there's a good reason to do so.  Such reasons might include disease resistance, suitability for your particular climate, or simply because you want to try a variety that sounds interesting to you.  If you decide you want, or need to grow, only hybrid varieties, go ahead.  The tomato police aren't going to show up at your door.

Season - Tomatoes seed and plant providers often group varieties by when they will start producing tomatoes.  This characteristic cuts across other distinctions such as determinate/indeterminate and hybrid/heirloom. 

• Early Season - start producing tomatoes in about 65 days. Examples include: Stupice, Grushovka, Alaska, and Jetsetter.
• Mid-Season -  start producing in about 75-85 days.  Examples include: Abraham Lincoln, Brandywine, Boxcar Willie, Big Boy, Heinz 1439, Costoluto Genovese, and Rutgers.
  
• Late Season - These tomatoes mature in 85 days or more.  Examples include: Druzba, Amish Paste, and Beefsteak.
  

Intended Use - While any tomato variety can be used in salads, cooking and sandwiches, certain varieties function better than others for specific applications.  When you shop for tomato plants or seeds, varieties with similar culinary characteristics are sometimes grouped together.  This type of classification occurs regardless of whether the variety is determinate or indeterminate, hybrid or open pollinated, heirloom or not.  Some common groupings include:

• Saladette - these are medium sized tomatoes.  When they are quartered they make good sized bites for salads and hence the name.  Typical varieties include: Cosmonaut Volkov, Japanese Black Trifele, Green Zebra, Costuluto Genovese, Stupice, Olivade, and Marianna.
  
• Slicers/Sandwich Tomatoes - these are large tomatoes that are used particularly for sandwiches and hamburgers. They are also sometimes used to make tomato and onion salads by cutting both the tomato and the onion into thin slices and interleaving them to make a pretty salad plate.  Typical slicing varieties include: Beefstake, Brandywine, Kellogg's Breakfast, Cherokee Purple, Big Beef and Porterhouse.
• Tomato Paste/Salsa/Sauce - These tomatoes are meatier and contain less water than other tomato varieties so they work well for salsa, tomato sauce, canning etc.  While not always the case, they are often plum or pear-shaped.  Typical varieties include: San Marzano, Amish Paste, Heinz 1439, Roma, Heidi and Opalka.

Shape - Tomatoes come in a very wide array of shapes and colors.  As with the "Intended Use" category, shape and color groupings cut across distinctions such as determinate/indeterminate, hybrid/open pollinated. 

• Cherry Tomato - small tomatoes 1 inch or less in diameter.  Examples: Black Cherry, Sungold, Supersweet 100.
  
• Grape Tomato - about the same size as a cherry tomato but with an oblong shape.  Examples: Riesentraube, Red Pearl and Sakura.
  
•  Pear Tomato -as small as a cherry tomato but with a pear-shape. Examples: Red Pear, Yellow Pear, and Purple Pear.
  
• Plum Tomato - Oblong shaped tomatoes. Examples: Roma and San Marzano.
• Oxheart Tomato - oblong tomato with a tapered bottom that looks like a heart. Examples: Amish Paste, Bull's Heart, and Shilling Giant.

Colors - Most of us think "red" when we hear the word tomato mentioned.  However, tomatoes come in an amazing array of colors.  If you want to serve tomatoes to guests this summer, you might consider choosing varieties that produce a mix of fruit colors since they make a dazzling salad plate.

• Green Tomato: Green Zebra, Green Doctors, Kiwi.
• Orange Tomato: Orange Icicle, Dr. Wyche's, and Moonglow.
• Pink Tomato: Arkansas Traveler, Caspian Pink, Mortgage Lifter, Pink Oxheart.
• Purple/Black Tomato: Japanese Black Trifele, Black Cherry, Cherokee Purple, and Paul Robeson.
• Red Tomato: Amish Paste, Cosmonaut Volkov, Principe Borghese, Riesentraube, Rutgers, Defiant, Oregon Spring and Thessaloniki.
• Striped Tomato: Green Zebra, Hawaiian Pineapple, and striped Roman.
• White/Pale Yellow Tomato: Snowberry, White Zebra, and Snow White.
• Yellow Tomatoes: Roman Candle, Wapsipinicon Peach, Yellow Riesentraube, Taxi, and Dr. Carolyn.

For those interested, below is a list of tomatoes that I'm growing in my garden this year.

Global Warming Puts 50% of Worlds Wheat Crop at Risk

As regular readers of this blog know, I'm growing a rare heirloom variety of wheat called Frassinetto this year.  This is my first experience growing wheat and so when I see a headline about wheat it catches my eye.

According to researchers at Stanford University in California, it appears that global warming is having a greater impact than expected on yields of wheat.  Using satellite photography, scientists have determined that warmer weather is causing wheat in India to mature too quickly.  The impact of this premature ageing is to reduce both the yield and the quality of the wheat harvested.

So how much wheat is being effected in this way?  As much as 50% of the worlds wheat may be at risk due to warming.

To learn more about this, check out this article published in the New Scientist.

 

Valentine's Day Gift: Stunningly Beautiful Seed Packets

In January, I posted about the Smithsonian Institutions collection of seed packets and showed some of the beautiful seed-packet artwork featured in the collection (mostly from the 1880's-1920's).  Seed packets from most companies today are pretty functional; they show a photo or illustration of the variety on the front and provide growing instructions on the back.  However, there is an exception....

The Hudson Valley Seed Library sells high quality, organic seeds from their farm located in the Hudson Valley of upstate New York.  While there is much to recommend about this company, their seed packets clearly stand out from the rest of the crowd. The company sells a line of vegetable and flower seeds in special, square-shaped seed packets that are illustrated with designs the company has commissioned from various artists.  These "Art Packs" are heirloom seeds and contemporary art all in one packet and they are drop-dead gorgeous!

If your special someone is a gardener, I'd like to suggest giving them a collection of Hudson Valley seeds as a Valentine's Day gift.  I think they will be blown away by the beauty of these seed packets.  I've reproduced a few of these below to give you a sense for the collection.  You can see the whole line, and make purchases from the Hudson Valley Seed Library's web site.  One more thought... you might also want to buy some now and put them away for either Mother's Day or Father's Day.

How and When To Plant Peas

Gardeners across the country are getting ready for spring plantings and one of the first crops to be sown are peas.

Peas have their origin in the Eastern Mediterranean in an area that is modern day Syria.  While grown and eaten since 5,000 BC, it wasn't until the 18th century, when sweet varieties were developed in England, that peas became popular as a fresh vegetable.   How thankful we should be to those English breeders because peas are perhaps the only early vegetable that provides such wonderfully sweet flavor.

Growing Peas

Peas prefer cool weather and germinate once temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. For those living in the coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest, that means it's now time to plant peas.  The rule of thumb is to plant peas about 4 weeks prior to your last frost date. A less scientific, but more memorable, rule of thumb is to plant peas on Saint Patrick's day. 

Peas shoud be planted about 2 inches apart and 1 inch deep.  Some gardeners recommend soaking peas in water overnight to increase germination rates.  I've never done this, but you might want to give it a try if germination has been a problem for you in the past.

Although peas will grow in partial shade, the resulting crop won't be very sweet.  It's best to find a sunny location for them.  Given that other sunny crops such as tomatoes and cucmbers are not in the ground at this time, it should not be hard to find such a place in your garden.

It's fine to work some compost into the soil before planting, but it is not necessary to add any fertilizer. Peas get their nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with a beneficial soil bacteria that is able to extract nitrogen from the environment.  You can add this beneficial bacteria to your soil prior to planting to help your pea crop and various seed catalogs sell this as pea and bean "inoculant."  Burpee sells it under the name "Burpee Booster"

Peas produce larger crop and are easier to harvest when given some support so I highly recommend that you take this step.  I use wire mesh fence panels that and garden stakes, but bamboo "tee-pee" style trellis are also a good choice. Shorter pea varieties, such as Green Arrow and Maestro, can be inter-planted with oats -- the peas climb up the oat stalks in the same way that beans and corn are sometimes paired together.  

Once in the ground, your seeds will germinate in about a week, although it could take as long as 20 days if the temperature and moisture levels are low.  Once germinated, peas will produce a crop in about 70 days.

Pea Varieties:

Peas come in three basic types as follows:

1. Garden Peas - sometimes referred to as "English" peas, these are what most of us think of first when peas are mentioned.  These varieites have stringy, inedible pods and need to be shelled prior to eating.  Dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties grow to be about 2 feet high, while taller varieties reach about 5 feet in height.  This season our family is growing an heirloom variety called Thomas Laxton.  Other good varieties worth considering include: Green Arrow, Wando, Lincoln, Alderman, Alaska and Laxton's Progress #9. Garden peas are a bit of a change of pace for us since we've grown the second type of pea, snap peas, for the last three years.  
2. Snap Peas -  Regular readers of this blog know that I'm a big fan of snap peas because both the peas and the pods are edible.  This means higher yields and lower work because there's no need to shell them.  I think this makes snap peas a particularly good choice for families with young children or those who have the pleasure of grand children since the kids can munch on them without having to deal with the pod. Some good varieties include: Sugar Snap, Cascadia, Sugar Daddy, and Sugar Sprint.
3. Snow Peas - These are varieties that have an edible pod and are consumed when the peas are immature and the pods are flat.  They are often seen in Asian cooking.  Some well known varieties include: Oregon Sugar Pod, Mammoth Melting, and Dwarf Grey Sugar.

Storing Peas:

In my opinion, peas are best enjoyed when fresh, but there they can be stored for later consumption. by drying, canning and freezing.  Frankly, freezing is so easy and the peas stay so sweet when frozen that I find it hard to recommend that you preserve them any other way.  If you are freezing Garden Peas, remove them from the pod and then follow the following simple steps below for all pea varieties:

1. Wash under cool water.
2. Blanche (quick cook) in boiling water for 90 seconds.
3. Remove the peas and then place into a ice water bath to quickly bring down their temperature.
4. Place into freezer bags, or better yet, vacuum bags, and then store in the freezer.

An Interview with Baker Creek Seed's Founder Jere Gettle

Jere Gettle is founder and owner of Baker Creek Seed Company. In this last of a series of interviews conducted at the EcoFarm conference in Pacific Grove, CA, I speak with Jere about his company and about the seed collection.

PlanterTomato:

I'm here today with Jere Gettle of Baker Creek Seeds.  Jere thanks for speaking with me today.

Jere Gettle:

Good to be here.  I sure appreciate you having me.

PlanterTomato:

To begin with, let's talk a little about Baker Creek and how the business got started.

Jere Gettle:

Basically, it started as a hobby in my bedroom.  My parents and grandparents had always gardened and some of my first memories are of the garden , looking at seed catalogs, and planting things. As I grew up, I started noticing varieties disappearing from seed catalogs and that gave me the inspiration to start saving seeds.  And it all happened from there.  Once I started saving seeds, I printed up a little price list and then the catalog and this is now the fourteenth year doing the catalog.

PlanterTomato:

As you think about those fourteen years, what's the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Jere Gettle:

Probably keeping up the diversity of seeds and finding new varieties. That's the thing I really enjoy...meeting people, finding new things and then getting it back into peoples hands.  Say for example, an elderly Japanese man who has been looking for this certain variety of squash for 50 years and being able to re-introduce it to him.  Or someone in the Blue Ridge Mountains re-introducing them to a local melon variety that they've lost.  Finding things and re-introducing them to their cultures and other cultures, that's what I really enjoy.

PlanterTomato:

Baker Creek offers lots and lots of varieties.  I'm going to put you on the spot here and ask if you remember how many varieties you currently sell.

Jere Gettle:

We currently sell about 1,400.  It's always going up and down a bit but anywhere between 1,350 and 1,450. 

PlanterTomato:

Wow that's quiet a lot.  In that group, or in seeds that you've sold over the years, was there a variety that was particularly surprising to you.

Jere Gettle:

Oh there are so many...Yokohama squash is one that had disappeared for almost 100 years and we found seeds in France from a French seed collector.  It's a very beautiful, flattened, pumpkin-like squash and grey-green.  Unbelievably beautiful and incredibly good eating. It was featured in Mother Earth News recently and other magazines but it's an unusual looking squash it's flattened, wrinkled and warted.  It was part of Japanese culture and American history for 50 years before it disappeared around 1900.  That was one of the varieties we were really excited about but that's just one example.  

PlanterTomato:

I do know from your book that you travel the world looking for new varieties, but I suppose there's a limit to what you can put into the catalog.  How do you decide what goes in the catalog and what comes out?

Jere Gettle:

We don't get rid of anything, we try to rotate through things.  We might not have something in the catalog for a couple of years if we think it's less valuable or if it's less popular for some reason.  But we then re-introduce after a couple more years.  But the most important things, we try to keep every year such as Alibaba or Orange Glow watermelons, Cherokee Purple tomatoes.  Certain things we have to have every year because our customers would have fits if they couldn't get that certain thing. There are other varieties that are marginally important right now, but we feel that in the future they hold potential.  A lot of times, people just haven't discovered how to use them yet. 

PlanterTomato:

I know we're just getting into the 2012 gardening season, so perhaps this is an unfair questions, but I would love to have a peek under the tent.  Are there any new varieties that  you are thinking about for the 2013 gardening season that you think are particularly interesting?

Jere Gettle:

We want to do a lot more with Morning Glories... Japanese Morning Glories in particular.  There are literally hundreds of them and we want to bring some of those back like the giant Imperial Japanese Morning Glories. Another crop we want to do more of is eggplant.  We love eggplant and are getting some really incredible eggplants shipped to us from Syria which we feel is very important since we never know that the situation is going to be and how long they will be growing the old crops. Our goal is to introduce a lot of Syrian and Middle Eastern varieties.  A lot of really cool Syrian stuff is in the picture for next year.

PlanterTomato:

What is your personal favorite heirloom variety?

Jere Gettle:

 That's almost impossible... Alibaba and Orange Glow watermelons are great as far as melons go.  For tomatoes there's Cherokee Purple and Paul Robeson but if I were to pick one it would be Cherokee Purple Tomato. 

PlanterTomato:

OK, well I'm going to have to add that one back in.  I've grown Cherokee Purple in the past, but I switch things around each year and didn't grow it last year.  It is an awesome tomato.

Jere Gettle:

It's  better if you have a hot climate. It tends to be sweeter and richer tasting in Southern climates. Driving along the roadside stands in North Carolina and Tennessee and many of them will have this tomato out and they are really intense tasting in that Southern climate.

PlanterTomato:

Can you give us a few tips to make our gardens more productive?

Jere Gettle:

 Try a diverse variety of things.  Try some new things that you might not be familiar with because a lot of the more unusual crops are good producers.  Other than that, I recommend that you mulch everything really well with straw or other mulches.  We also like to use drip lines.  Putting a drip line down takes some work to install, but once you have it in, you can water your garden automatically or by just turning on the hose. Drip irrigation also keeps water from splashing on the leaves and increasing diseases. You should also add chicken manure or compost or other organic matter to help loosen up the soil. 

PlanterTomato:

You and your wife just came out with a book called the Heirloom Life Gardiner. Can you tell us a little about that?

Jere Gettle:

About two years ago we were thinking about doing a book and we got this call from an agent in New York.  We thought it sounded like a cool idea. We thought about and wanted to cover all aspects of heirloom growing...seed saving, cooking tips, how we garden at Baker Creek, as well as the overall picture of each type of vegetable so that people can learn about the vegetable and how nutritious it is, learn how to grow it, and a little bit of history as well.

PlanterTomato:

If someone wants to get a hold of your book, where can they buy it?

Jere Gettle:

 You can get it through us, you can also get it through most any bookstore. 

PlanterTomato:

I encourage people to go ahead and get the book.  Thank you for speaking with us today.

Jere Gettle:

Well I appreciate it. It's been great to meet you.

Standard Breed Poultry: An Interview with Jim Adkins

In the second interview of this series from the EcoFarm conference, I speak with Jim Adkins of The International Center for Poultry, an organization that educates people about standard poultry breeds and sustainable farming.  Jim has over 30 years experience with poultry, having raised over 50 standard breeds and varieties. He has a license to judge poultry from the American Poultry Association and has judged birds in the United States, Australia and Canada.  In 1992, Jim founded the International Center for Poultry to promote understanding of standard breeds and he teaches workshops on the subject throughout the U.S. and abroad.

PlanterTomato:

Jim thanks for speaking with us today.

Jim Adkins:

Good to be here.

PlanterTomato:

So let's begin by first discussing what you mean by the standard for poultry and why it's important for backyard flock owners.

Jim Adkins:

There's a book called The Standard of Perfection that is published by the American Poultry Association.  The American Poultry Association is the oldest livestock association in the country. It was organized in 1873.  I have one of the earliest editions published in 1897 [Jim points to a copy of the book] and it describes exactly what a Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, Leghorn etc. should look like.  

Photo: Page from the 1938 edition of The Standard of Perfection

PlanterTomato:

Why is that important to the backyard gardener or poultry enthusiast?

Jim Adkins:

When you don't breed by the standard, your going to get a bird that's compromised -- it might be smaller weight, it might not have the carcass quality that it should have because all American breeds are dual purpose for eggs and meat, so the standard keeps poultry where it should be from it's breeding parents.

PlanterTomato:

If I wanted to make sure the birds I was buying for my flock meet the standard of perfection, where would I buy them?

Jim Adkins:

You should go to individual breeders.  I encourage people to stay away from the large hatcheries because they are looking for quantity, not quality. The best thing you can do is go to local breeders. You can find them at local exhibits, the county fair, or you can also check out the Poultry Press which is a monthly publication.  Finally, if you become a member of the American Poultry Association, they send you a yearbook. Breeders who advertise in this yearbook are usually a very reliable source for good standard bred poultry.

PlanterTomato:

Where can I go to learn more about the standard of perfection?

Jim Adkins:

You can order your own copy of the Standard of Perfection from the American Poultry Association web site.  You can also purchase them from us at the International Center for Poultry.  You can also sometimes find them at your local library, 4H, or county extension office.

PlanterTomato:

OK, so let me ask an expert... could you make some breed recommendations for those who are interested in keeping chickens in their backyard primarily for eggs.

Jim Adkins:

The first question you have to ask is whether you want brown eggs or white eggs. If you want white eggs, it's fairly easy -- all the Mediterranean breeds such as Leghorns, Anconas, Andalusians, and Buttercups.  As far as brown egg laying breeds, all of the American breeds such as the Buckeye, Plymouth Rock, Delaware, Chantecler, and the Rhode Island Red.  All of these breeds are dual purpose, they were bred for meat and eggs.  You could use the females for egg laying, and if you had extra males in your flock, you could use them for meat.

PlanterTomato:

Assuming someone just wants to raise chickens for eggs and they want eggs for their family, not to sell, how many chickens should that person get for a family of four?

Jim Adkins:

I would recommend 6-10 hens because not every hen is going to be laying at the same time.  And if all the birds are in production, you will have some extra eggs you can give away to a neighbor. By the way, you don't need to have a rooster to get egg production. 

PlanterTomato:

What general advice would you give to someone new to raising chickens?

Jim Adkins:

Here is a great principle that I teach people attending my workshops...I tell people that their eyes are their best management tool.  You can look at a flock of birds to see how they are acting... are they foraging, are they active, etc.  If the birds are spending lots of time going through their plumage they may have mites.  Generally speaking, your eyes are your best management tool.

PlanterTomato

What are some typical mistakes that newbies make?

Jim Adkins:

Chickens need good feed quality, water quality and air quality.  Make sure that there's plenty of ventilation and also that the chickens have dry litter.

PlanterTomato:

What advice do you have for people keeping chickens in the city or suburbs?

Jim Adkins:

Firstly, make sure that you are within the law. You don't want to get birds and then realize that they are illegal and you can't have them.  Check out your local laws.  Secondly, make friends with your neighbors.  Tell them in advance that you are getting birds.  Some will love it and some will become your enemies.  You want to be careful.

PlanterTomato:

For many backyard chicken keepers, the birds aren't just livestock they are pets.  They may not want to cull the flock and that makes it difficult to add new chickens that are producing eggs.  What strategies would you recommend to introduce new birds to an existing flock?

Jim Adkins:

I would recommend that if you want to start a new flock you should get rid of the old one first.  That's the easiest thing to do.  It's very complicated to introduce new birds because hens can be very territorial and harmful to the new birds. One simple thing you can do is to put a fence down the middle of your coop and keep the new chickens and the old hens separated.  That way they can get used to each other.  Even then, there's going to be some fighting through the fence.  Again, your eyes are your best management tool.  Put them together, see how they act.  You need to accept the fact that there's a pecking order and you should keep an eye on the birds at the top of the pecking order so they don't do any really destructive things to the younger birds. 

PlanterTomato:

If people want to learn more about the International Center for Poultry, what's your web address?

Jim Adkins:

It's www.CenterforPoultry.com.  We do workshops and also there's a hen-house coaching network and other resources on the web site.

PlanterTomato:

Thanks for speaking with us today.

Jim Adkins:

Thank you.

Jim Adkins

Organic Chicken Feed: An Interview with Chris Wagner of Modesto Milling

This week I attended the EcoFarm conference in Pacific Grove, California and had the opportunity to meet with a variety of people who make their living in organic farming.  In this first of a series of three interviews conducted at the conference, I speak with Chris Wagner, head of sales, for Modesto Milling.  Modesto Milling produces a range of organic feed products for cows, pigs, rabbits, chickens and other livestock.

PlanterTomato:  

I'm here at the show today speaking with Chris Wagner of Modesto Milling.  Chris thanks for speaking with me.

Chris Wagner:

Thanks for inviting me.

PlanterTomato:

To start off, why don't you tell us a little about Modesto Milling.

Chris Wagner:

Modesto Milling started in the early 1960's as a co-op for dairymen to make mixed grain for their dairies.  In 1998, the co-op started making organic feed for its members and in 2007 we became a 100% organic mill.

PlanterTomato:

How does a chicken's nutritional requirements change over time?

Chris Wagner:

We start chicks on a product that is 22% protein in order to support the chicks growth. Also it's a crumble product that's designed for small birds. At approximately 4-5 weeks, we move them into a lower protein finisher pellet until they start laying.  At that point, we move to a layer pellet that has 4% calcium to support egg shell strength.

PlanterTomato:

Is there a difference between the food that is given to chickens that are layers versus those that are meat birds?

Chris Wagner:

You can raise them identically, but meat birds are normally just grown out for 6 to 8 weeks, so you don't really use the higher calcium product.

PlanterTomato:

In my local feed store, they sell both pellets and crumbles.  What's the difference between these two product forms? When do you use one versus the other?

Chris Wagner:

We pelletize all our feed, but we will crumble the pellets to make feed for smaller birds.  As the birds get older, maybe 4 or 5 weeks, you can switch to a pellet and that allows for less waste. 

PlanterTomato:

I know Modesto Milling also sells organic scratch because I give it to my chickens.  What role does scratch play in the diet?

Chris Wagner:

Scratch is used to supplement a layer pellet or a broiler finisher pellet.  It's not necessary, but it's whole grains and they enjoy eating it. Scratch also allows you to bond a little more with your chickens.

PlanterTomato:

Where can people find Modesto Milling products?

Chris Wagner:

We encourage people to call us because we enjoy selling directly to both large and small folks who are interested in organic feed.  That's always been our focus, even as a co-op, our dairies tended to be the smallest dairies.

PlanterTomato:

Chris, thanks for speaking with us today.

Chris Wagner:

Thanks for Inviting me.

More About Buying Modesto Milling Products: 

Modesto Milling products can be purchased at select feed stores and on-line. The company is also happy to ship to customers. If you have neighbors who keep chickens, or are part of a 4-H club, you may want to consider creating a "buying group." By banding together, the group can greatly reduce the shipping cost and receive Modesto Milling's direct pricing. Contact Chris Wagner ([email protected]) to discuss which feed and shipping options are best for you.

Chris Wagner of Modesto Milling