Corn, Cassiopeia, Popcorn (100-110 days) Zea mays  A southern Oregon original in development over the past 11 years.  Originating with the old Cochiti Pueblo strain from New Mexico, we crossed it with 4 other varieties.  Cassiopeia combines the best traits of 5 different heirloom popcorns.  Selected for early maturity, large ear size and multiple ears per plant (up to 5), it is multicolored, tall (8-9’) and beautiful.  Let dry in the field and cure on the cob indoors for a few months before popping.  Will not cross with sweet or flour corns.   * Please note that in order to pop successfully popcorn must have an adequately long season to mature fully.  Harvest once husks are dry on the plant.  If frost kills plants before maturity you can pull them from the roots, bundle and let finish under cover.  Let ears dry fully after shucking (usually 2-3 months) before trying to pop.  (And no it doesn’t work to try and pop it on the cob. they just burn!). An Open Source Seed Initiative pledged variety bred by Don Tipping. Siskiyou Select Original Packet (1/2 ounce) Quarter pound    ...

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Corn, Oregon Blue Maiz, Flour (75-110 days) Zea mays We have created a strain cross between 4 blue flour corns (Hopi Blue, Rio Grande Pueblo from NM, Chihuahua Blue, and Papa's Blue - which is a blue strain of the short season Painted Mountain.) The goal is to eventually develop a well adapted, reliable staple Maiz for the PNW and similar climates. It will exhibit some variability, however all will make good flour corn.  If you save seed, particularly if you do it for numerous cycles, then you are on your way to having your own Heirloom of tomorrow! Can be eaten as sweet corn when picked young and roasted, but is best known for making an excellent, sweet blue corn flour that has 30% higher protein levels (up to 14%) than dent corns. Plants are 5-8 ft. tall and bushy with many tillering side shoots.  Ears are a beautiful smooth silvery blue that are 8-10” long with usually 2, but up to 7 per stalk. There is still some variability in this strain with respect to kernel color and degree of kernel denting.  Expect ears to mature into shades of light gray/slate blue, to dark blue and purple.  Robust, drought-tolerant cultivar selected over many generations.  Makes excellent corn meal (as pictured). Siskiyou Select Original  Packet (One Ounce) Quarter Pound - ...

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Rootbeer Popcorn (100 days) Zea mays This is the long-awaited selection from our Cassiopeia mix of the copper/brown phenotype that seedsman, Bill McDorman coined “Root Beer” during one of our biennial Seed Academy training. Growth is the same as the Cassiopeia variety, however, the tassels, silks, and husks have a lovely copper pigment to them. Some variability may still be possible as we continue with this project. Give it a try and let us know your impressions! OSSI (Open Source Seed Initiative) Pledged Variety bred by Don Tipping. Siskiyou Select Original Packet (Half Ounce≈ 105 seeds) Quarter Pound  ...

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CORN, Sunfire, Flour (100 days) Zea Mays A breeding project to stabilize a trait that we noticed in a landrace flour corn of sunburst patterns of red over yellow, white, orange or red kernels. Also known as Chinmark.  Gorgeous to grow!  Grows to about 6-7' with some tillering and 2 ears per plant. drought adapted. Open Source Seed Initiative pledged variety selected by Don Tipping. OSSI pledged. Siskiyou Select Original Packet: One Ounce  ...

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Melon, Galina, (80 days)   Cucumis melo In Ancient Greek myths Galina was one of the Nereids, (or sea Nymphs, who accompanied Poisiedon) and was known as the goddess of calm seas. Eating and savoring this melon may just as well make you feel like you have been enchanted by the Nereids. Galina is an intentional cross between two excellent melons, the Israeli open pollinated Haogen, (listed above) and the wonderful Galia (an F1 hybrid). Still in the stabilization process (this is the F5), variability is possible, however, the off-types are still tasty. The exterior is bright gold with green stripes and some netting with green flesh. It is highly aromatic and very sweet and quite tropical- tasting with hints of pineapple and butterscotch. The goal with this breeding project is to have a melon with the eating quality of Haogen, and the durability of the netted skin of Galia. OSSI Pedged. Siskiyou Select Original Packet (1/2 g ≈ 25 seeds) ...

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 Sundream Cucurbita Maxima (90 days) Good ideas have to start somewhere…this project started as a taste bud love affair with the excellent variety Sunshine (F1), a delicious orange skinned squash developed by Rob Johnston.  With the dream of culturing this strain into an open pollinated variety, we offer this stabilized (F6) open pollinated strain.  We love the flavor of this productive and tasty squash.  This heirloom of tomorrow in the making is a Siskiyou Seeds farm original bred by Don Tipping An interesting agronomic note on this variety and other cucurbit seeds that we grow here at Siskiyou Seeds is that we have not used floating row covers to protect young plants from cucumber beetle damage (which is standard practice on nearly all small farms in our area). Our aim is to breed for and select for plants that are naturally resistant to cucumber beetles and a decade into doing this it seems to be working!  Open Seed Source Initiative pledged & Siskiyou Select Original Packet (5 g ≈ 30 seeds) 1 oz ...

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ZINNIA, Crazy Legs Zinnia elegans (70 days) This is a selection from the popular cactus mix of an exceptionally unique mutation with fully quilled bright fuchsia petals that are both involute (rolled inwards) and fimbriated (petal tips splayed or frizzled looking).  The petals also have a characteristic only observed in 2 plants (out of 300) from the original population of being crooked, like a bent leg. Plants grow to 3' tall. We will continue to select and refine this unique specimen. A pale orange version is in development. (See picture). Bred by Don Tipping Packet (0.3 g ≈ 35 seeds) ...

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