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Post by milehighmike on Apr 11, 2014 13:51:33 GMT -5
I am in contact with a chef in Aspen who is trying to grow heirloom corn from Oaxaca, Mexico. He wants to use them to make authentic corn tortillas. He is looking for someone who could grow the corn and save seed (that would be kept pure). Please post of PM me if you are interested.
He is not expecting huge amounts now, just experimenting if it can be grown in Colorado.
Thanks.
Mike
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Post by oxbowfarm on Apr 11, 2014 17:53:09 GMT -5
There's a lot of cool corn from Oaxaca, it may be difficult for many/most of them to make seed in Colorado. There are likely to be photoperiod issues that would make it really hard for the corn to pollinate or dry down before frost. If your chef friend has seed, he should plant some to see how a plant behaves under Colorado daylengths. If it will flower and silk simultaneously you can probably adapt it to Colorado, but he's going to have some years before he makes a lot of tortillas. maicerochico can give you some better advice on this.
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Post by kevin8715 on Apr 11, 2014 18:25:07 GMT -5
I could do a grow out here in S. California as backup and also select for ones not photo sensitive.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Apr 11, 2014 21:21:14 GMT -5
I would also say there is about zero chance a Oaxacan corn will be able to do anything in Pitkin County. You need to get down to someplace on the plains with a decent growing season. La Junta/Rocky Ford, even Greeley.
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Post by flowerweaver on Apr 11, 2014 21:33:24 GMT -5
I successfully grow Oaxacan corn, but I have a long growing season about an hour from Mexico.
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Post by steev on Apr 11, 2014 21:58:36 GMT -5
Oaxacan Green is one of the two corns I planted on the farm last week, gambling that the normal killing frost won't happen; I might have a 180 day corn season, this year. Quien sabe? I'm gonna go for it, just to see what happens!
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Post by oxbowfarm on Apr 11, 2014 22:21:38 GMT -5
Oaxacan Green has been up north out of Oaxaca a long time, and is daylength adapted.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Apr 12, 2014 0:32:09 GMT -5
As far as I can tell "Oaxacan Green" is a North American dent corn which only carries the name "Oaxaca" as a marketing tool, not because it has recently immigrated from Southern Mexico.
The corn I have grown that originated in Oaxaca only gave me 1 harvest out of 6 plantings scattered over a number of growing seasons and gardens.
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Post by maicerochico on Apr 12, 2014 20:34:37 GMT -5
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Post by milehighmike on Apr 12, 2014 22:12:44 GMT -5
Thanks all. I probably should have specified that the chef is looking for someone on the plains or along the front range. He knows it will not grow in the mountains.
He would like to grow this corn, because it is the traditional corn used to make tortillas and tastes better. He imports a lot of chiles and has tried growing them, but states they do not taste the same as those grown in Oaxaca. He has shared seeds with me that I plan to grow next year. He is looking to try the same experiments with the corn (growing in Colorado), but needs help from someone at lower elevation. I think he has realistic expectations, but is looking to give it a try (or at least find someone willing to do it).
Thanks again!
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Apr 13, 2014 2:04:25 GMT -5
I think that the chefs expectations are unreasonable even at lower elevations on the Colorado plains. I believe that Colorado simply can't provide the long warm growing season that Oaxaca provides, nor anything similar. My experience with tropical corns is that they really really don't do well in northern latitudes. It seems to me that he would be better off finding a suitable local variety like something from Hopiland such as "Hopi Pink" or "Hopi Blue", or something from the Northern Plains/Mountains like "Painted Mountain". The people of Oaxaca are not the only people that have made great tasting traditional tortillas from traditional corns.
If he requires white kerneled corn I'd expect something like "Cherokee Flour" to work much better for him. If he needs a super soft and airy flour corn then I think he'd be better off growing a northern variety of super soft and airy flour corn.
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Post by maicerochico on Apr 13, 2014 7:25:04 GMT -5
I second Joseph: I highly recommend trying traditional USA varieties instead. If the chef goes ahead with his Oaxacan project, he will likely be sorely disappointed.
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Post by milehighmike on Apr 13, 2014 9:10:38 GMT -5
Thanks again. I will pass this along.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Apr 13, 2014 9:47:47 GMT -5
Do you which of the many types of corn from Oaxaca he has? Knowing that would make it easier to suggest a possible alternative, that might be similar. Not identical, but not conventional corn either.
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Post by steev on Apr 15, 2014 21:12:26 GMT -5
On the question of the authenticity of Oaxacan Green: it is always described as traditionally used for "green corn tamales", so I'm curious: is it all marketing bullshit or is/was there ever a "Oaxacan Green" that is indigenous to Oaxaca?
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