Wapsie Valley Corn Facts 2019

Wapsie Valley Corn Fields 2019 • Organic Cornmeal & Polenta • Weatherbury Grain Tracker

Wapsie Valley Corn Fields 2019

In 2019, Wapsie Valley Corn was grown in Independence Township on 5.6 acres on the farm established by Robert Leggett in 1815.  Leggett had  holdings totaling 585 acres in the area and raised 1000 sheep.  In addition to being a farmer, he was a breeder and dealer of 1st class Spanish sheep (Merino).

Today the farm still raises sheep.  Weatherbury Farm transitioned this land from conventional in 2013 and it was certified organic in 2015.

The corn was planted on May 27, 2019.

On June 8 and June 13, 2018 the corn was rotary hoed.  We cultivated the corn on June 26, 2019.

In a “normal” year, we rotary hoe the corn twice and cultivate it twice.  And while 2019 was not as wet 2018, we had the opportunity to rotary hoe the corn twice but only cultivate it once.  Farmers raising GMO corn simply spray their fields with glyphosate (roundup)  to get rid of weeds. Raising organic corn, we rotary hoe and cultivate the corn to control weeds.

The corn was harvested on November 16, 2019.

At the 2019 Washington County Fair, the corn ears won 1st place and the jar of corn won 1st place.  While the corn stalks did not place in 2019, in both 2016 and 2017 Weatherbury’s corn stalks placed 1st — beating all the GMO corn in the county!  And as to taste — cornbread made with Weatherbury’s cornmeal and pastry flour won 2nd place in 2019.  The cornbread has placed at the county fair 5 out of the past 6 years.

For an illustrated explanation of how Weatherbury grains become flour (and how corn becomes cornmeal and polenta), visit the from seed to flour page.

More information on Wapsie Valley Corn below the pictures!

June 8 2019

Rotary Hoeing Corn 6.8.19 • Weatherbury Farm Grain Tracker

Rotary Hoeing the Corn

June 25 2019

Cultivating Wapsie Valley Corn 6.25.19 • Organic Wapsie Valley Corn • Weatherbury Farm

Cultivating the corn

August 2 2019

Turkeys love Weatherbury Corn 8.2.19 • Weatherbury Farm Wapsie Valley Corn

Forget “Turkey in the Straw”

At Weatherbury Farm, the turkeys love the corn!

November 16 2019

Harvesting Wapsie Valley Corn 11.16.19 • Weatherbury Farm

Harvesting Corn

About Wapsie Valley Corn

Wapsie Valley Corn is an open-pollinated heirloom dent corn dating back to the 1850s.  It produces ears of either all coppery red or all dark yellowWapsie Valley Corn · Weatherbury Farm kernels.

Corn is a spring planted crop.  Because Weatherbury Farm is organic, we rotary hoe and cultivate the corn to lessen the impact of weeds.

Products Milled from Wapsie Valley Corn

Polenta and cornmeal are both milled from Wapsie Valley corn, which has both a visual and flavor punch.

During the past six years, cornbread made with Weatherbury’s cornmeal and unbleached pastry flour has won three first place ribbons and two second places at the county fair.

Health Benefits of Corn

Corn is a rich source of vitamins A,B,E and minerals (phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron and copper).  With a high fiber content, it plays a significant role in preventing digestive ailments.  It is rich in phytochemicals which provides protection against a number of chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.

More Information

Polenta and cornmeal can be ordered on our order page.

To read more about polenta and cornmeal, please visit our products page.

More information on corn and other grains grown at Weatherbury Farm are on the grains we grow page.