Looking for Gaspe Flint Corn, US Supplier

[Kevin B Walsh]

Hello,

I am looking for a US supplier of Gaspe Flint Corn. I think I found a Canadian source that will ship to the US, but they require a $30 minimum order (not sure as the message was in French and seemed to indicate an error of some sort) and that is too much for me.


Kevin

 

[baymule]

Here is a thread about Gaspe, some of the people on this thread might have seed.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/gaspe-flint-corn.9290/

Hey! @thistlebloom !! @marshallsmyth !!!!

 

[baymule]

How rude of me..... WELCOME TO THE TEG FORUM!!!

 

[thistlebloom]

I gave a lot away this spring to Joe Haynes. What I have left I was planning to use for a seed saving planting. I might have some to share next year.
Unfortunately I don't know of a U.S. supplier. I got mine from a seed co. in Canada that no longer ships to the U.S

And welcome to TEG Kevin!

 

[Hal]

Hello,

I am looking for a US supplier of Gaspe Flint Corn. I think I found a Canadian source that will ship to the US, but they require a $30 minimum order (not sure as the message was in French and seemed to indicate an error of some sort) and that is too much for me.


Kevin

Welcome to the forum!
Kevin if you don't mind my asking why are you interested in Gaspe?

 

[Kevin B Walsh]

How rude of me..... WELCOME TO THE TEG FORUM!!!

Thanks for the welcome!

 

[Kevin B Walsh]

Welcome to the forum!
Kevin if you don't mind my asking why are you interested in Gaspe?

Hello Hal,

Ah, well, where I live, it is very difficult to grow a flour or flint corn on natural rainfall. Our rains start on July 4th and end shortly before first frost, which is usually in mid September. For most of the past ten years, we get little or no rain in April, May, or June. This year, I have planted a 60-day flour corn from the Tohono O'odham. However, they grow it in a much warmer place (southern Arizona), so it might not be a 60-day corn here, at 7,300 on the plains of northern New Mexico (a chilly place, much of the year, due to the altitude). I am looking for seed for next year's experiment. From looking at the pictures of the Gaspe Flint (not the Gaspe Flour), it looks like is does not produce much "per acre", but something is better than nothing, so I want to give it a try... I think I would do that even if this year's corn produces, just because I am curious to know its characteristics.

 

[Kevin B Walsh]

I gave a lot away this spring to Joe Haynes. What I have left I was planning to use for a seed saving planting. I might have some to share next year.
Unfortunately I don't know of a U.S. supplier. I got mine from a seed co. in Canada that no longer ships to the U.S

And welcome to TEG Kevin!

Hello Thistlebloom,

Thanks for the greeting!

I am looking for seed to plant in the coming spring, between 100 and 200 seeds (that much is required to maintain genetic diversity, I have read). I would certainly be interested in some seed from your crop this year (knock on wood that all goes well with it), and I can cover the expense of shipping it. I would not ask for a total gift! I am getting by (happily) on a shoe string (thanks to our gardens) but actual cash expenditures, I understand they are a burden!

If my corn this year produces (very doubtful), I can share, but it might have genetic diversity issues as I planted only a small amount (32 plants) because I ran out of time (lots of medical stuff this year, but next year should be good). My small planting will tell me whether it produces here. I got the seed from Native Seed Search. If it works out, I will probably get and plant more of it next year... at least enough to be genetically stable. If I will have both Gaspe and the TO corn, I might let them interbreed, just to see what that is like. I am a bit of a nutter for genetic diversity, and if both produce here on natural rain fall in the time available, the genetic diversity of a cross would suit me well... assuming the characteristics of the cross were not somehow problematic.

BTW, I have tried Painted Mountain here. It is a great corn, but it cannot ripen reliably here before the frosts (actually, hard freezes) of September if I start it with the rains. I can start it early on irrigation and get in a crop, but I want to explore a natural rainfall solution (if one exists).

 

[Hal]

Hello Hal,

Ah, well, where I live, it is very difficult to grow a flour or flint corn on natural rainfall. Our rains start on July 4th and end shortly before first frost, which is usually in mid September. For most of the past ten years, we get little or no rain in April, May, or June. This year, I have planted a 60-day flour corn from the Tohono O'odham. However, they grow it in a much warmer place (southern Arizona), so it might not be a 60-day corn here, at 7,300 on the plains of northern New Mexico (a chilly place, much of the year, due to the altitude). I am looking for seed for next year's experiment. From looking at the pictures of the Gaspe Flint (not the Gaspe Flour), it looks like is does not produce much "per acre", but something is better than nothing, so I want to give it a try... I think I would do that even if this year's corn produces, just because I am curious to know its characteristics.

I figured it might be due to climate but I was not really sure as your location is unlisted like mine.
So your looking for a short season corn so that you can avoid having to irrigate? If you could supply water when is the earliest you could sow it?
Your right, Gaspe Flint won't give you a huge harvest but it will provide something where you had nothing which is why it was once so important to those who grew it.
Bear Island Flint might also be worth looking into, I'm pretty sure that is short season and cool tolerant flint that is around 60-70 days.

I had trouble posting my message and it showed up way after I had clicked submit.

I'd figured Painted Mountain might take too long for you, I myself am already planning a cross of it with Gaspe to see if I can get something earlier and smaller for an idea of mine.

 

[Kevin B Walsh]

I figured it might be due to climate but I was not really sure as your location is unlisted like mine.
So your looking for a short season corn so that you can avoid having to irrigate? If you could supply water when is the earliest you could sow it?
Your right, Gaspe Flint won't give you a huge harvest but it will provide something where you had nothing which is why it was once so important to those who grew it.
Bear Island Flint might also be worth looking into, I'm pretty sure that is short season and cool tolerant flint that is around 60-70 days.

I'm guessing Painted Mountain is a bit too long in maturity time for you?

Yes, Painted Mountain, which is a great variety, takes a little too long here to grow on natural rain fall.

Thanks for the pointer to Bear Island Flint. I will start searching for that now.

Concerning my planting time, I can plant in the last week of June in anticipation of the rains. (BTW, a terrible time be outside because of the no-see-ums, but they are not active until 9 AM.) Deep down, about 10 inches, there is some moisture in the soil, but there are issues with planting that deep. Not all varieties seem to tolerate it, although I have read that some were bred for it. Still, it can take a while to come up all that way. Some corn (Painted Mountain) that I planted that deep back in late May are up now (another experiment) and are about 4 inches tall. However, only 50% made it. I do not think that the germination was that bad. I think it was the depth, but I will do a germination test on the seed (I bought it for this year, so it is not supposed to be old seed).

Concerning my profile, I need to figure it out a bit better. I need to put up location and a profile picture. I have no need to be anonymous.

For location, Candy Kitchen, New Mexico, which is no place at all, although nice enough to have a Wikipedia entry, I hear... I have never looked at it. We are all just a bunch of odd balls living on marginal land... pretty, if you like austere, but everybody close by here a hundred years ago tended to be rather thin most of the year.