“No one had ever seen corn like this before.” The spectacular plants that emerged took him by surprise. Curious about the oddly named Glass Gems, he planted a handful of seeds in his garden. Schoen passed on several unique corn varieties to fellow seedsman Bill McDorman, who is a former Executive Director of Native Seeds/SEARCH. While in the process of moving in 2010, he sought out a place to store a sampling of the collection to ensure its safekeeping. The weighty responsibility of protecting these seeds was not lost on Schoen. But after many years, his painstaking efforts created a wondrous corn cultivar that has now captivated thousands of people around the world.Īpproaching old age, Barnes bestowed his precious seed collection to Greg Schoen, his corn-breeding protégé. Exactly how long Barnes worked on Glass Gem-how many successive seasons he carefully chose, saved, and replanted these special seeds-is unknown. More specifically, he excelled at selecting and saving seed from those cobs that exhibited vivid, translucent colors. Barnes had an uncanny knack for corn breeding.
Its origin traces back to Carl Barnes, a part-Cherokee farmer living in Oklahoma. Like many heirloom treasures, Glass Gem corn has a name, a place, and a story. And this is a gift that is meant to be shared far and wide. When you peel back the husk from a freshly harvested ear to reveal the rainbow of colors inside, it’s like unwrapping a magical present. It is truly as stunning held in your your hand as it is on your computer screen. As the proud stewards of this variety, we are lucky enough to have grown and admired this extraordinary corn ourselves. This is some truly mind-blowing maize.įor the staff here at Native Seeds/SEARCH, the viral explosion of interest in Glass Gem has been thrilling-but not surprising. With its opalescent kernels glimmering like rare jewels, it’s easy to see what the buzz is about. Feast your eyes on Glass Gem corn: a stunning, multi-colored variety that has taken Facebook and the blogosphere by storm. If you’ve spent any time online recently, you might have noticed a striking photo making its rounds. Dried Whole and Ground Grains: Amaranth, Corn & Wheat.
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