I’ve made a new page for crop sales here – but I’m also posting all of the information here, just below. If you’re interested in getting a little corn read on and order soon, quantities available are quite small.
UPDATE 12/13 – Less than 24 hours after posting this I’m sold out of the popcorn and Pigna beans but we still have a small quantity of the Tolosaka, Piatella and Sorana beans available, and plenty of Otto File corn. If you already ordered I’ll be sending order confirmations this afternoon. Thanks for all the orders and keep ’em coming!
The 2018 crop of Dakota Black popcorn and a small offering of dry beans is up for sale for a limited window, and I also have some remaining Otto File polenta corn from the 2017 season. These were all grown at Cully Neighborhood Farm in NE Portland.
Here’s the price list and descriptions of the offerings, ordering info is at the bottom of the page:
Dakota Black Popcorn
$6 a bag (2 cups of whole kernels, a bit more than ¾ pound) – Most of this went to our CSA at Cully Neighborhood Farm this year but we had a number of odd shaped ears with perfectly good kernels on them so I shelled those and I’m offering them here. I just popped a batch yesterday and it continues to be excellent with a high percentage of popped kernels that come out medium sized, bright white and with great fresh popcorn flavor, not at all like the big stale stuff you get in most bulk bins.
Otto File Polenta Corn
$4 a bag (2 cups of whole kernels, a bit more than ¾ pound) – A few years ago I was in Italy and visited a wonderful little biodyanamic market farm in Lucca. The farmer gave me an ear of his golden polenta corn (otto file, meaning eight rows in english – because there are eight rows of kernels on the slender cobs). I ended up planting it in my garden and it made amazing polenta – tons of corn flavor, beautiful golden color, slightly sweet – so I grew more. I use a relatively simple Corona hand mill to grind mine as I need it, but there are many other options out there. It can also be cooked whole.
Dry Beans
$6 a bag (2 cups of dry beans) these are all specialty varieties of dry beans and I only have very limited quantities. If you’ve only ever had canned dry beans, or beans from the bulk section, these are a completely different experience. They are cook easily and evenly and have an extra layer of flavor. In general these all have delicate skins and cook well by soaking overnight, bringing to a boil and the gently simmering for 45 minutes to an hour. Add salt and other seasoning to taste, generally about 1-2 teaspoons of salt per bag. Be sure to save the cooking liquid which is delicious. Variety descriptions follow…
Tolosaka
This is my name for the tolosa black bean, which I’ve been growing since 2007. This is a beautiful, large, deeply black bean that is from the Basque region of Spain. Look it up, apparently it’s famous. I just know it’s delicious and one of my favorites.
Pigna
Another one I’ve been growing since 2007. A large round white bean originally from Spain but also grown in Italy. It’s a Slow Food Ark variety and you might try to find it from the Italian growers if you really like it and support their efforts to keep it growing in its traditional areas.
Sorana
A great little white bean, very tender and tasty. Lane Selman and I brought this back from Italy by request for Uprising Seeds in 2014 and they shared seeds from their first grow out with me the following year. I’ve been growing it for the past two seasons and it’s quickly becoming a favorite for its great flavor. It’s a Slow Food Ark variety and you might try to find it from the Italian growers if you really like it and support their efforts to keep it growing in it’s traditional areas.
Piattella
Quantities are extra limited for this flat, white bean. I got this one from a grower in Italy who also uses corn for trellising. It’s a Slow Food Ark variety and you might try to find it from the Italian growers if you really like it and support their efforts to keep it growing in it’s traditional areas.
Ordering
All orders are packed here in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland, OR and are available for pick up on my porch. To order Send me an email (by clicking on “send me an email”) with your order including the items you’d like and the quantities. I’ll send you the details for the pick up location, how to pay, and when your order will be ready (usually in a day or two). I’ll be packing orders through December 21, 2018 before taking a break for the holidays, or until I sell out.