Organic conference includes session on growing popcorn
By Carol Stender
cstender@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 02/02/2012 9:12 AM
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ST. CLOUD, Minn. —Angie Bastian is looking for Minnesota popcorn growers.
The owner of Angie's Kettle Corn made that known during the Minnesota Organic Conference when she introduced a session featuring Shellsburg, Iowa, popcorn producer Gene Mealhow.
Mealhow said locally and organically grown popcorn is a popular item at Iowa farmers markets.
Mealhow's workshop drew more than 20 farmers from the more than 400 who registered for the two-day conference. Some were certified organic producers, others were transitioning to organics and some were considering organic production.
The Organic Conference offered a range of seminars from organic certification tips to livestock, fruit and vegetable production and marketing.
Mealhow discussed how he his wife, Lynn, grow, process and markets their "Tiny But Mighty" popcorn.
"When I was young, I wanted to be a rock and roll star," said Mealhow as he showed a picture of himself as a young man playing the drums. "You never know where life is going to lead you."
It led him back to the family farm. Mealhow is a third-generation farmer and has been farming organically since 1993.
Growing popcorn in Minnesota is challenging due to the state's climate, he said. The good news is popcorn has several short season varieties.
The first thing is to know the soil, he said. Does it have the nutrients for the crop. Next comes germination.
"Know your germination rate," he said. "If you have 85 percent germination, you need to plant more seed."
He uses cover crops and fertilizes in the row when he plants.
"I want to feed the plant," he said.
Mealhow said soil temperature should be close to 55 degrees with the seeds planted in moisture at a 1.5 inch to 2 inch depth. The seeds should be spaced from five inches to 6.5 inches apart.
Planting uniformity will ensure that each plant produces, he said.
He uses a 128 day variety.
Plants will emerge in between five days to 10 days after planting in ideal conditions. Weed control can start before that, he said.
Rotary hoeing is key.
Pollination begins 80 to 95 days from emergence. Total pollen shed occurs in one to two weeks with most pollination taking place mid-morning in cooler temperatures.
Silk emergence happens about the same time, he said. Corn pollinates from the butt of the ear out. Pollen lands on the silk, moves down the ear and fertilizes the plant. When magnesium and boron needs are met in the soil, the life of the plant can be extended and kernels will form to the tip of the cob, he said.
Mealhow is also a popcorn plant breeder. He works with other growers who raise popcorn for him and is training them to do plant selections.
Popcorn plants can lodge, but, through breeding, he has achieved good standability.
The last two years his crops have flooded out, he said.
He likes local sourcing. Many Iowa popcorn growers sell it at farmers markets. He says the business is pretty lucrative, but producers need to decide if they want to grow a business or to sell at local farmers markets.