These extraordinary images may seem like colorful candies or even glass beads, but in reality they are corn grown by Indian farmers.
This corn variety was developed by an Indian farmer who harvested cobs containing unusual colored seeds. Nowadays, unique corn seeds are available for purchase online and are in high demand from gardeners looking to add a little color to their garden.
The first crop of unusual corn was harvested in Oklahoma, where farmer Carl Barnes, whose ancestors were Cherokee Indians, began to collect colorful ears of corn and started breeding. It took many years, but the farmer managed to create a variety of corn, on the cob of which there are dozens of grains of various colors.
Shortly before his death, Mr. Barnes gave his seed collection and breeding secrets to his friend Greg Shen, and asked him to continue the business. In 2010, Shen, unable to fulfill his late friend's request in person, decided to donate the seeds to Bill McDorman, the owner of a small seed company in Arizona.
“I was amazed when I harvested the first crop of this corn,” says McDorman. "No one has ever seen a corn like this."
McDorman currently leads Native Seeds, a non-profit association dedicated to preserving the agricultural heritage of Native Americans.
The organization sells unique corn seeds on its website for $ 7.95 a pack. At the same time, the seeds are in great demand and very often the organization is not able to meet the demand. Corn can be used to make flour or popcorn, although it is not recommended to eat it straight off the cob.
Most customers seem to use the seeds as an original gift to decorate their yard with.
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