FRESH

by Stacey Kusterbeck

If you love

popcorn (and

who doesn’t?),

you really

ought to grow

your own.

Today, some 150 years after popcorn first became a household word, most popcorn comes coated with flavor and packed to pop neatly inside expanding bags. Convenient, yes, but nothing like homegrown. Popcorn is available in a surprising number of varieties (gold, off-white, maroon, black, and calico, to name a few), each with a unique flavor. Experiment to find your favorite, using these tips from popcorn farmers and breeders.

PLANTING

Once all threat of frost has passed, plant seeds 2 to 3 inches deep. “Some people think that popcorn

should be planted shallower than field corn, but there is no reason for that,” says Charles P. Zangger, a North Loup, Nebraska–based popcorn breeder for 25 years. “The main thing to remember with