Corn

Zea mays - The more I get to know corn the more I appreciate this plant. I can see why so many cultures are centred around corn cultivation; among grains it's uniquely suited for human-scale cultivation. Walking through the corn patch picking dry cobs (presented right at eye level) is a lot easier than sickling a field of wheat in my opinion. Definitely among the grains I'd choose if food self-sufficiency was my goal. The biodiverse and heirloom varieties we focus on are nutritionally and spiritually a whole different crop than the over-bred and heavily sprayed fields that are ubiquitous across North America.   

A few definitions:

Dent Corn - This type gets it's name from the small indents in the top of the dry kernel. Good for grinding into cornmeal and flour - generally softer than flint.

Flint Corn - These kernels are generally harder, but can be used in all the same ways for grinding. 

Flour Corn - The softest grain type, best for fine flour. They have a larger portion of soft endosperm vs hard endosperm, which in practice means they have soft centres and thin hard outer shells. I've been known to occasionally crunch the dry kernels as a snack (I'm weird though).

Sweet Corn - A favourite summer treat. Our heirloom sweet corns are less sugary than those varieties commonly found at farm stands. But still plenty delicious and likely more nutritive. Any variety of corn can be eaten in the fresh 'milk' stage like sweet corn. They'll be less sweet and more starchy, try slicing off the kernels into stir-fries. 

Popcorn - Smaller harder kernels than the others. And distinctly good at popping!