Some of the newest varieties of super sweet corn are as high as 40% sugar. Eating corn this sweet can have the same impact on your blood sugar as eating a snickers candy bar or cake doughnut. Many of the vegetables in our modern world have been bred to be able to withstand jostling around in a truck for hundreds of miles, to be picked before they are ripe, to sit on a shelf for several days, for high sugar content, and for increased yield. We are missing the better digestibility, nutrients, and colors that we once had, but thankfully we have not lost all of our old-fashioned seeds yet.

Jo Robinson explains that the new breeds of sweet corn developed as a result of corn seeds being bombarded with radiation, the seeds being mutated, and then scientists working with these mutated seeds and crossing them with old fashioned seeds to produce super sweet varieties of sweet corn that contain A LOT more sugar. These would be considered hybrid plants (not genetically modified), but not all hybrids are produced in this way. A hybrid plant is simply a cross-bred plant that is a result of someone cross-pollinating two or more unrelated plant species. You can’t save the seed and get the same plant the next year. An open pollinated plant is one that will produce the same plant time and time again as long as it’s not crossed with another species. Research suggests that the open pollinated varieties of vegetables are more digestible and contain many properties that are so beneficial to our health.

Because of our desire for perfect vegetables it has caused the farmers to use even more insecticides, as much as 25 to 40 times per season. I remember my shock when my grandparents told me how many times they were spraying sweet corn and potatoes several years ago. At one time they were spraying potatoes every three days! This is concerning for the health of the workers that are spraying these chemicals, the people eating these chemical laden foods, the neighbors that are bombarded with chemicals, and the detrimental effects to the environment that affects all of us. When I would visit my grandparent’s business, even the office would smell like chemicals (and my grandma was very clean). Sadly, both my grandparents died of cancer, and I know several other people that claimed to work with or be exposed to farm chemicals that have battled cancer. A few are still alive, but most of them died. Can we truly blame the farmers or sprayers when they are simply doing what the market requires? I can’t say that it was the chemicals for sure, but it’s past time to start questioning our practices. In non-industrialized countries the people have enough sense to look for imperfect vegetables, because they know they haven’t been sprayed. Many adds boast about sprays to reduce the chemicals in our vegetables, but I am not convinced that those vegetable cleaning sprays do any good, and I am mindful of the fact that vegetables grown under these conditions are not going to be very flavorful or nutrient dense because they are being grown in dead soil.

Native or wild vegetables contain more phytonutrients (plant nutrients), and these are known to decrease the risk of diabetes, dementia, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. They are also high in salvestrol compounds that are anti-cancer. These compounds are only present in ripe, just picked fruit or vegetables. Think of how many fruits and vegetables are picked before they are ripe and how some are even sprayed with chemicals to ripen them upon delivery. The best way to get our nutrients is to grow these amazing fruits or vegetables or find a local farmer with good practices that will pick the vegetables ripe and fresh.

Thankfully we still have open pollinated seeds available that are more nutrient dense and more digestible. Sadly, we are losing some all the time. On our farm we plant as many open pollinated (true to seed and one can save the seed and use it every year) plants as possible, use beyond organic methods to feed our vegetables (more on this later), pick vegetables when they are ripe, and freeze, dry, or can to last throughout the year. Unfortunately, it’s hard to buy this quality of vegetables today, but we can take a little time to seek out local farmers that are growing nutrient-dense, highly digestible flavorful vegetables, or grow them ourselves.

A few varieties that we plant on our farm that we really like are bantam sweet corn, Hopi blue corn, sugar pumpkins, Hopi squash (these store for over a year), and so much more. I love that these vegetables are higher in nutrients, more digestible and flavorful, and have a lot less sugar than the hybrids on the market today. I have had a lot of people ask us about growing produce to sell, but because of our practices I’m just not sure I can do it. We don’t use any pesticides (even natural ones) and occasionally I might find a worm or bug inside of a fruit or vegetable and that is simply not acceptable with most people. Also, everything we do is so labor intensive (we shovel compost, pick off bugs, strive to create amazing soil, etc.) that I don’t think I could charge enough to feel compensated for all that time. I will still give some away, and we will keep working and try to get more efficient and if we have something that meets my standards (which are pretty high) then we will let you know. One of my observations over the years has been that open pollinated plants require really good quality soil to grow, and while they may be a little more challenging, the results are worth it.

Many people are feeling overwhelmed or stressed about everything that is going on in our world today. The price of everything is rising, chronic health conditions are on increasing, and it’s hard to trust most people in power, but there’s something about growing some food, getting back in our kitchens, and observing the Lord’s bounty that can give us a sense of peace and accomplishment. Imagine what would happen if we get rid of the distractions, start growing and preparing food, and start having amazing conversations with our family, friends, and strangers as we enjoy our bounty at the dinner table. One book I highly recommend for peace during this difficult time is the Bible. I also recommend Jo Robinson’s book, Eating on the Wild Side, if you would like to learn more on the subject of wild plants.

Do you grow vegetables? We love to hear from you!

Our family has learned to slow down, make careful observations of what heals/damages, get rid of the distractions, take a little more time preparing our food, and most importantly to seek the Lord’s wisdom. It’s a daily struggle and it never goes perfectly, but we just keep trying to do the best we can. If you are working toward a more traditional, clean, whole foods diet, and would like to take small steps to get there, then you are at the right place. Week one was get your salt right, week 2 was get your sleep right, weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 were get your fats right, we had several weeks about seasonings and herbs, some important discussion about natural sweeteners, talked about Forgiveness, hopefully we got our eggs right, learned about the benefits of pastured, clean meats, considered getting mercury removed, we got the toxins out of our mouth, skin, and hair, made some changes in our cleaning routines, we talked about raw milk, and this week we are talking about old fashioned vegetables. Join us next Tuesday for Get Your . . . Right.