Question
QUESTION: Tom,
  I have some very special heirloom corn that was gifted to me. I have grown the corn and all is well. I currently have ready-to-eat ears. I would like to propagate the seeds and grow this corn again next year. What is the correct way to go about this?

ANSWER: Hi Psera,
Thanx for your question.  Corn is pollinated by the wind so corn can pollinate up to one mile away.  You'll need to make sure there are no other corn types growing within a mile of your fields unless you have some good wind breaks around your field.  Allow several of the stalks in random areas of your field to completely ripen and dry up.  To maintain genetic diversity, I would pick 5-10 a plants from various places around the field and collect the dried seed.  Do you know what the name of your heirloom corn is?  I bought some heirloom bean seeds this year at a festival at Baker Creek Seeds in Mansfield, Missouri.  Unfortunately, I was not able to grow any of them this year but they are all seeds that were propagated by various Native American nations.  Anyway, after the corn cobs have suffiently dried, remove the seeds from the cobs and store the seed in clean, dry, glass jars that can be sealed and stored them in a cool, dark place until you're ready to plant next season.  I'd am also going to refer you to Seed Savers Exchange of Decorah, Iowa.  This group has been actively pursuing the preservation of heirloom fruits, vegetables and flowers and you can join the organization if you want and share in thousands of varieties of heirloom plants.

http://www.seedsavers.org/

I hope this helps.
Tom

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QUESTION: Tom,
  I'm just responding..no follow up needed. The corn is from the Dine` (Navajo) rez in Arizona. I'm really interested in seed propagation and feel that it is just as important as gardening. If we don't know how to collect the seeds, we're really setting ourselves up for disaster if the time ever comes that we HAVE to garden. Thanks for the info about the seed exchange, thanks for your response. BTW...The corn was one year old when I planted it and I had no problems what-so-ever.
~psera

Answer
Hi Psera,
Thanx for the additional information.  I lived in Phoenix back in the late 70s when I was in the AF out at Luke.  I am also a small CNG farmer and raise mostly heirloom/open pollinated vegetables because I too am concerned about the genetic diversity of our food plants.  Although I don't save much seed myself I do buy my seed from Baker Creek, Seedsavers and Heirloom Acres which are in the forefront of striving to insure the preservation of heirloom/open pollinated plants.  There is a huge corn seed bank in Mexico.  I don't recall the organization that does it.  USDA also maintains a seed bank.  In 1970 Corn blight wiped out a substantial portion of the U.S. corn harvest.  That was really one of the first disasters that brought the situation of genetic diversity to the Government's attention.  But, I'm digressing.

That is excellent that you are trying to preserve the Navajo corn.  The beans I have are all Native American although I don't know their history.  I am half-Mexican and I have been interested in growing chiles myself.  Corn seed will keep for about two years if kept, dry and in a cool, dark place.

Here's another website in which you might be interested.  It is a not-for-profit, Native organization.  I hope this helps.
Tom

http://www.nativeseeds.org/v2/default.php