Looking for my 'perfect' corn cultivar

As much as I want to grow all the corns we don't have the space to grow and save seed from more than a variety maybe 2. I plan on growing in  3 sisters style mounds interspersed in a polyculture forest garden type space. We are on 6 acres but with infrastructure and shared gardening (the not-in-law is an avid row gardener so of course we are giving her space as well, she'll keep us fed while my forest matures!) I only have about 1/2 an acre split up for the mounds. Also we are surrounded by feed corn growers (gick) so I want a full height, dual purpose popping/meal , NOT white or yellow (so we can cull accidental crosses easily) preferably dries on the stalk. Any suggestions, I am willing to land race, but want to start as close to the mark as I can.

When I started growing corn, in 1998 or so, I just went to the local garden store and bought a pound of 'Indian corn' out of their bulk bin. Turned out to be a colorful flint. Been growing and selecting and mixing it with other corns since then. I grind it for my daily bread, and hang it for decorations.

My 3 sisters garden:

Thom Bri wrote:When I started growing corn, in 1998 or so, I just went to the local garden store and bought a pound of 'Indian corn' out of their bulk bin. Turned out to be a colorful flint. Been growing and selecting and mixing it with other corns since then. I grind it for my daily bread, and hang it for decorations.

My 3 sisters garden:

Does it pop at all? That is honestly our favorite way to consume corn, but since I want something we can nixilamize and eat as a calorie base if shtf that's why I'm looking for a duel purpose, that and most of the popping varieties I find seem to be dwarf, which will not work how I plan....

I used three sister for Glass Gem Corn one year, good sized ears (not dwarf) and the prettiest corn you''ll ever see, but might be too expensive, oh and it dries and pops well!

Kyle Hayward wrote:I used three sister for Glass Gem Corn one year, good sized ears (not dwarf) and the prettiest corn you''ll ever see, but might be too expensive, oh and it dries and pops well!

Thank you! I'm looking at this as a long term investment so I don't mind a bit more upfront cost, and Glass Gem is sooo pretty! I didn't know it could be popped!

I have some seeds I'd share, if you think they're a fit for your project. You can read a little more here, but they're diverse and were Indian Corns until about a generation ago. They should revert to flour and/ or flint corns easily enough. There may even be some in there I haven't selected out yet. Let me know if you'd like to try some.

Victoria Jankowski wrote:

Thom Bri wrote:When I started growing corn, in 1998 or so, I just went to the local garden store and bought a pound of 'Indian corn' out of their bulk bin. Turned out to be a colorful flint. Been growing and selecting and mixing it with other corns since then. I grind it for my daily bread, and hang it for decorations.

My 3 sisters garden:

Does it pop at all? That is honestly our favorite way to consume corn, but since I want something we can nixilamize and eat as a calorie base if shtf that's why I'm looking for a duel purpose, that and most of the popping varieties I find seem to be dwarf, which will not work how I plan....

Flint corns all seem to pop, more or less. Mine pops, but it's not a very good popping corn. I added some glass gem to the mix a few years ago, and it pops pretty well, but not as good as a true, selected popping corn.