By SARE Outreach
In north central Kansas, farmers lack a selection of high-quality, nutrient-dense varieties of flour seed corn that meet the needs of local markets. When more nutritious ancestral seed varieties are available, it’s important to understand how to use modern production practices to improve their yield and production efficiency.
In response, Pantaleon Florez III of Maseualkualli Farms in Lawrence, Kan., compared traditional methods with no-till production practices using three types of heritage corn varieties. With support from a North Central SARE Farmer/Rancher grant, Florez found that the traditional method of hilling stabilized the plants in turbulent weather and improved yield in two of the three varieties. As an added bonus, promotion of these project results also improved visibility and market opportunities for the farm with the local community.
As a result, the project improved the economic sustainability and production efficiency of farmers who seek to make more informed choices about seed selection and production practices to meet the needs of local markets.