A non-GMO Seed

“The corn that fed the South!” was how Hastings Prolific was advertised in 1908 and later H.G. Hasting catalogs as “The best all-purpose corn that can be grown in the South!” Hastings prolific was even the winner of the 1905 Georgia State Fair for heaviest yield per acre!

Hastings has a great flavor for fresh ‘roasting ears.’ In the South, that is pronounced ‘roastnears!’ Hastings makes great creamed corn, fantastic corn meal and grits. Not only has it fed families, but it has also fed livestock for close to a century.

Hastings may have been known as the corn that fed the South, but starting in the 1970’s, hybridization took their toll on all heirloom varieties and Hastings soon almost became extinct.

Thankfully, a handful of small farmers kept it alive… and I mean very few.

Unfortunately, much of Hastings that is sold today is not Hastings at all… but something that was grown too close to other varieties, and has unfortunately became cross-pollinated.

One small farmer who helped save Hastings is my good friend and fellow preacher, Brother Zenus Windsor. Brother. Zenus is an 81-year-old, active pastor and farmer who in 2010, provided me with Hastings Prolific seeds.

I raise this seed one mile away from any other corn field. Brother Zenus has done the same. You see… there has been no cross-pollination because of the distance I keep between my fields.

This historic corn is, in my opinion, one of the finest varieties a family can plant. Make no mistake… this is real Hasting Prolific. What we have at Railey Farm & Field is not Mosby Prolific or a crossed white dent corn.

Our Hasting’s Prolific is an early to mid-maturing corn that makes in 100-110 days… it grows one to two large ears per plant with plants growing 12-14 feet tall. Because of the height of the corn, it is very deep rooted, making it extremely drought resistant.

Hastings is a corn that tastes like corn is supposed to taste. Another positive trait is that it is an open-pollinated heirloom corn. This means you can save your seed from year to year. A once thought extinct variety, Hastings Prolific is alive and well! It is a corn that could very well save your family in rough times. Hastings, Jimmy Red and other non-GMO’s are a wise choice for all Americans who want to feed their families from their own soil.

Tips:

·      Always selectively choose your best ears for seed.

·      Choose large ears, plants with multiple ears, and ears with straight rows of kernels.

·      Never forget to nub one inch off each end of the corn to eliminate inferior kernels.

My friends, Hastings Prolific is one of our finest corn varieties that can be grown. It was famous south of the Mason-Dixon, however, I have friends who have grown it well in Missouri.

Our corn is grown isolated from other corn to ensure pure-line variety -it has not been cross-pollinated. We plant several acres of Hastings… plant it with a Farmall 140, and pick it with a New Idea #8 corn snapper and we store it in a two-story corn crib. I shell it by hand using a model 1889 Black Hawk corn sheller. The seed is then packaged and mailed to you.

 So keep up with Railey Farm & Field as we all feed the future!