# Painted Mountain Corn



## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

We grew Painted Mountain corn for the first time this year. We chose it because it is open pollenated and short season, so would help us be more self-sufficient. It is a flour corn that can be dried and ground into cornmeal, fried in a skillet to make parched corn, or fed to our animals. Our question had been if it would be suitable for corn-on-the-cob as well. Well, we harvested a couple of ears yesterday, and thought I'd share our thoughts. We were pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't too bad. It is not as sweet or tender as normal sweet corn, but we all finished our ear. Even the kids said they could eat this corn. I definitely wouldn't grow it if we just needed it as sweet corn, but as we were looking for a multi-purpose corn, we will definitely be growing it next year.

More info can be found at their website if you're interested: http://www.seedweneed.com/


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Where did u get the seed? What color is it? Is it a good drouth variety? How tall the stalks?
U mention your animals, not knowing what animals u got, buty, if youve got cows or rabbits, u might try running the whole coren plant through a chipper. Cows wont eat a whole stalk of corn, but they will eat the stalk if its been broke open. Same with rabbits.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

How much ground did u plant.


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## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

I got this year's seed from Nichols Garden Nursery in Albany, OR. I know other seed companies carry it as well. It is an indian corn, so it is multi colored. Anything from yellow to red to purple to black. The juice from the darker ear we picked actually stained our fingers purple while we were eating it. It also has a higher protein content than sweet corn. It is supposed to be drought tolerant as the man that developed it lives in the Montana mountains. He chose the ones that did the best in his short season climate. We don't get very hot here, so wanted to see if it would mature for us, and it did.

We only did a 4 x 8 test patch this year as a trial. Next year, we have a 50 x 50 plot we can give it after the pigs are done with it. That way, we can save our own seeds from year to year.


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## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

Oh, and they grow about 4 - 5 feet tall. They mature quickly and don't get blown over in the wind, but aren't tall enough to let beans grow up it.


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## Sara in IN (Apr 2, 2003)

Last year I grew a small plot of Painted Mountain, about the size of your plot, however the raccoons got to it just as it made it to the sweet corn stage. This was my third attempt to grow Painted Mountain, all in different location, with the same results with raccoons, whether in country, town or burb. 

A really tall corn, 10 foot plus, such as Bloody Butcher, is the only type I can keep away from the deer and raccoons. It's a long season corn and a heavy feeder, but the only way I can successfully grow a small patch of corn here in the Corn Belt.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Sara, you need a big dog and an electric net fence! Dog to run the ***** off and electric net fence all around in case the dogs asleep. 

Siletz, thanks for the recommendation on the Painted Mountain corn. I'll have to put it on my wish list for next year. Corn is so late here this year that I'll be lucky to get a bit of corn ripe. Did you get good, full ears throughout the plot? How big are the ears? Did the purple stain wash right off or did you all look like you'd voted in an Iraqi election for a few days?


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

*siletz*, thanks for the reference. I put the Dave Christiensen website the "fireside" sticky above so we could all read it more carefully this winter.

Seems like I am always hawking her book, but you might be interested in Carol Deppe's book, "The Resilient Gardener"--"Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times" If you are interested in self-reliance, she addresses several topics, growing and saving OP corn is one of them that you may find useful.......Well worth the money(and I have no commercial interest in her book sales)

geo


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

Disscussion on the Painted Mountain...when you make your harvest and dry some down to the point it can be ground or stored, I'd be interested in how fast it grinds to flour. I found it in Jonny's Selected Seeds catalog and they do list it as a flour corn for "grinding,roasting and homney grits" with "high nutrition flour".

I grow Mandan Bride flour corn and the first pass thru the grinder produces high percentage of fine white starch. Corns used for cracking and grits are ususally dents and flints as the kernal is harder and there is less "waste" in fines(they don't want flour).

If this corn truely grinds well in all the advertised uses you have a real winner! Most Indian corns on the market are flints more for decorative uses than eating.

I may have to do a small comparrison planting of the Painted Mountain next year; I have been looking at the beautiful ears in seed catalogs for awhile!!!!


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## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

manygoats: That's hilarious! :hysterical: Yes, the purple washed off quickly, but it was funny to see as we were eating it. Yes, the ears were all filled out, but one thing that I found interesting was that the cob itself is skinnier than a normal corncob, so even though the corn kernels were full sized and filled out, it makes for a skinnier-looking corn. The corn was maybe about 8" long.

Geo: I recently bought Carol Deppe's book and am really enjoying it! Do you have her book "Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties"? I have that on my birthday list.

Bee: I will post back after they dry and let you know how it goes. I have a Nutrimill, so not sure how coarse I can get it. It grinds my wheat to such fine flour, so I'm not sure it will resemble corn meal or not, but I'm going to give it a try. 

It is supposed to also be good for parched corn. Anyone ever try making parched corn?


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

We also planted Painted Mountain (got the seeds from Nichol's in Albany), this is the first year our corn hasn't fallen over and you are right...its too short for growing with beans, geez, we've got a mess come harvest time (our beans are for dried beans, since they are so tangled with the corn).

Siletz...are you going to dry on the stalk. I ask because an old man told us we should dry it on spikes instead (huh? I said, and he gave me the HUH? look...~lol~...)


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

I've planted the 'truckers favorite yellow' for the same effect...a multi-purpose corn. Stalks are huge and got a good harvest the first time out.


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## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

Marinemomtatt: Yes, I was planning to dry it on the stalk, but hadn't heard of any other way to do it. I haven't heard of drying them on spikes. Anyone have any suggestions? Sounds like you've got some work cut out for you come harvest! What kind of beans did you plant? How big of an area did you have them in?


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## rhelynn (Aug 25, 2011)

We planted a similar variety this year and have saved a lot of it for next year. What would you reccommend for a grinding method for human consumption? I've been looking at different flour grinders online but others say to just throw it in a blender....


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

I have a cheap hand powered corona grinder..it takes me several runs thru to get an acceptable flour. If you aren't planning on doing a lot of cracking/grinding it is a cheap choice.

I don't know if a blender would hold up to much processing hard corn kernals; they will be flying around in there like bullets!!!


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

We planted a variety of beans with our corn, Kentucky Wonder, Blue Lake, Black Beans, Black Eyed Peas, some weird Purple things (turn green when blanched) and some yard long beans...I missplaced the packages for the purple and yard-longs so I can't share the names.

I popped a couple ears off the Painted Mountain's....BEAUTIFUL! One ear is crimson, one blue and another multi-colored. I can't wait for harvest! The stalks were yellow and the husks were dry, the ears are now hanging in the sun-room to dry)
I will be buying more seed!

I'm planning on running the corn kernals through my Kitchen Aid grinder and then I'll run it through my Back to Basics hand grinder. The Kitchen Aid doesn't grind a fine enough flour when I do Wheat, so I imagine the corn won't either unless I use it for polenta.


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## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

Wow, that sounds like a great harvest. I had read that polenta is made from flint corn and Painted Mountain is a flour corn, so not sure how the results would be, but you can give it a try and let us know.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

I think it will all depend on the grind I get...~lol~...
We did the Painted Mountain and the darn beans as an experiment. We cut down several overgrown Christmas trees and thought that as a first year garden area an experiment would be the best use...and the beans would help rebuild the soil.


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## siletz (Oct 5, 2010)

I love experimenting in the garden! I try to experiment with something new to me every year. I also grew some beans as dry soup beans for the first time this year, too. It keeps us guessing, but makes it fun, too.


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

Yup, Painted Mountain is a good variety.


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## ChiefRMCProject (Apr 21, 2014)

I know this thread has been quiet for some time, but I think it's important to bring it up again, seeing everything that's happening in the world right now. My family and I have been growing Painted Mountain Corn seed for a few years now, always encouraging our customers to save their own seed and develop it for the their micro-climate and share with family and community. But I think this summer may be the most important growing season of our lives, and whatever we grow, we're going to keep to feed the family. 

We like Painted Mountain Corn for it's nutrition and calorie content, but Painted Mountain Corn is truly the most beautiful thing I have ever grown. My family and I have been growing Painted Mountain Corn and every year for harvest we try to get as many new people and kids involved as possible. Opening the shucks is like revealing a purse full of jewels. I never tire of the looks of amazement and joy on the faces of both children and parents as they discover the joy of growing this crop.

Iâm a 25 year old farmer, entrepreneur, physicist and writer born and raised among the snow-capped mountains of Montana. I grew up on an off-the-grid homestead with my brother, raised by my dadâa scientist, historian, entrepreneur, farmer, author, alternative energy expert and passive solar pioneer (heâs never one to brag, so Iâll do it for him). My brother and I went off on scholarships, first to the east coast then to the south for college, but we have since returned to our wild mountains to build our lives and prepare to not only survive, but thrive and pass the torch of civilization to those who will follow us.

I know a lot of people only think of sweet corn when corn is mentioned--but sweet corn is a summer vegetable. You can't sustain your family through the winter on summer veggies, no matter how vitamin-rich and tasty they are. 

My family has been working towards total food independence for years and with my dad we have the cumulative experience of decades of trying to grow food in extreme climates. Out of necessity weâve always grown food for sustenance. When you are forced to rely on what you grow for your food year round, the bottom line is calories. Farming your food takes a tremendous amount of energy and anything you can do to reduce energy input and increase calorie output MUST be your top priority.

âForget those romantic notions of a nineteenth century life illumined by the cozy glow of the family circle around the fireplace at night. Been there â done that. Itâs OK for a time and a season but I donât want to repeat it unnecessarily as long as I have a choice. You donât have to spend all your time and energy scrambling in bare subsistence. In that state, you have no time or energy for anything else, such as forming a resistance. You are effectively neutralized as any force opposing tyranny.â âNew Ordnance âThe Secret Weaponâ (RockyMountainCorn dot com)

For my family the bottom line is grain, legumes, potatoes and winter squash. Add in carrots and turnips and onions for some variety. Weâve tried many different grains, legumes, winter squashes and numerous varieties of root vegetables. YOU MUST GROW VARIETIES ADAPTED FOR YOUR REGION AND CLIMATE. Plants that work well for organic farmers and seed growers in Maine are not the best varieties for a high mountain micro-climate in the northern Rocky Mountains. It seems obvious, but weâve learned the hard way. Buy seed grown in your region or you are courting disaster.

The tried and true garden for my family at 5,000 feet in Montana is (1) Painted Mountain Corn for our grain (Fukushima-free, Non-GMO, non-hybrid, open pollinated, high protein, micro-nutrient, soft starch â go to our website RockyMountainCorn dot com for more info), (2) Progress #9, Early Frosty, and Dakota shell peas & Black Coco, Golden Rocky Bush Wax, and King of the Early dry beans for our legumes, (3) our own local cross between Squisito spaghetti squash and Eight Ball Zucchini that turns out to be a decent tasting winter squash that keeps well and produces incredibly fast and heavy in a short, harsh summer, and (4) Purple Viking potatoes that produce reliably in spite of late and early frosts and poor, gravely soil and constant high wind.

Augmenting this garden with deer, elk and trout, we are able to have a balanced diet with enough calories to sustain a high level of activity.

For folks who need a little more info on Painted Mountain Corn, what it is, how to grow it, etc. check out RockyMountainCorndotcom 12 Tips for Planting and Crop Reports. 

From the Rocky Mountain Corn family:
"Weâre a small family operation in Montana who love to grow things. The climate is challenging, but over the years weâve settled on a few varieties of vegetables and grains that produce reliably. We discovered Painted Mountain Corn a few years ago and were amazed at its ability to mature in 90 days and produce bountifully where so many other corns have failed. We loved its colors, nutritional value, hardiness and ability to thrive in rocky, marginal soils at higher elevations (we grow at 5,000+ feet).

"After 2 years of growing Painted Mountain Corn, we realized it was the perfect grain for small farmers and homesteaders in the Rocky Mountain West and decided to start spreading the seed to help our neighbors become more self-sufficient. When we realized that the supply of Painted Mountain Corn available through most online retailers was only sporadically available, we decided to help increase the availability of this spectacular corn. After growing Painted Mountain Corn, we hope you will be as impressed with it as we have and help spread the word about this magnificent grain.

"What is Painted Mountain Corn? Simply put, itâs a corn that grows where no other corn survives. Bred to withstand the harsh climate and short growing season of southwestern Montana, weâve found that itâs the only corn that will grow and reliably produce at elevations above 5,000 feet in the northern Rocky Mountains. Bred from a variety of semi-extinct western Indian corns, Painted Mountain Corn represents a gene pool with 1,000 years of selection for reliable production in the arid and nutrient-poor soils of the western United States.

"Developed as the lifeâs work of Dave Christensen in Big Timber, Montana, Painted Mountain Corn has been successfully grown in marginal climates and depleted soils around the world (North Korea, Siberia, South Africa), largely through the efforts of the Seed We Need Project*. With a proven record in climates with marginal growing seasons around the world, Dave Christensen has created a super-corn that thrives where even barley and other cereal grains have difficulty.

"Having tried a number of hybrid fast-maturing corn varieties over the years without success, we were a little skeptical when we first planted Painted Mountain corn several years ago. Living at an elevation of 5,000 ft. on a wind-swept hillside with dusty alkaline soil that routinely saw 30 mph winds and less than 11 inches of rainfall per year, our expectations were low. To our surprise, the corn came up early June, shrugged off hail storms, cold night temperatures and hot daytime winds to produce on average 2 beautiful ears of corn per plant in late August/early September. We had done our best to prepare the soil beforehand, water once a day and weed when the corn was smallâefforts that paid off when we were rewarded with a bounty of rainbow-colored ears. Somehow, Painted Mountain Corn had succeeded where all other corns had failed.

"Bred for its soft starches, high protein content (comparable to hard red winter wheat) and anti-oxident pigmentation (anthocyanins etc.), Painted Mountain Corn offers more than just caloriesâit offers easily digestible nutrition unavailable in other corn varieties. Whatâs more, being Fukushima Free, non-GMO, heirloom, and open pollinated means that seed-saving for Painted Mountain Corn is a reliable way to propagate from year-to-year.

"In our experience, Painted Mountain Corn is fun to grow, harvest and eat, and is also a reliable way to efficiently produce a high-calorie grain with limited space and no mechanized equipment. The ears snap off easily when theyâre dry, and can be easily husked and shelled with minimal equipment (a hand-held aluminum popcorn sheller from Lehmanâs does the trick nicely), then ground into flour with a hand-crank grain mill (or even a blender!). Whatâs more, livestock enjoy the sugary leaves and the low-cellulose stems, making the feed-to-meat conversion more efficient compared to other varieties of corn.

"We hope that youâll give Painted Mountain Corn a try and let us know how it does for you. Our seed is organically grown in southwestern Montana at elevations above 5,000 feet, and is free from cross-pollination by other varieties. It is GMO-free and Fukushima-free.

"Check out our website: http://rockymountaincorn.com

"If you would like to learn more about the development of Painted Mountain Corn and its implementation around the world, please visit the Dave Christensen* web site at http://www.SeedWeNeed.com

"*While we love and grow Painted Mountain Corn, we have no affiliation or endorsement from Dave Christensen or the Seed We Need project. Please consider making a donation to support his corn breeding work and the Seed We Need Project"


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

The Seed We Need link doesn't work, so I have taken the liberty to link several other sites where one can order the very rare and valuable Painted Mountain Corn seeds. Nice website, by the way....

http://www.territorialseed.com/product/Painted_Mountain_Organic_Corn_Seed/Organic_Corn_Seed


http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-5605-painted-mountain-og.aspx 

http://sustainableseedco.com/certif...corn-seeds/organic-painted-mountain-corn.html

http://www.highmowingseeds.com/organic-seeds-painted-mountain-corn.html

http://www.bountifulgardens.org/Corn-Painted-Mountain-Flour-Organic/productinfo/VCO-3290/

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/search.php?item=680&search=painted mountain

http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-D2161-Seeds-Davids-Garden/dp/B0032V70RA

That aughta be enough................

geo


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## headlandsfarmer (Aug 2, 2018)

Hi, I’m new to the forum and i am growing Painted Mountain corn for the second year now. Last year i grew about fifty plants and this year i have about 200 or so. I’d like to know if anyone out there has any information on how to fertilize this corn or if i should fertilize it. It seems to be doing ok except for some lodging.I planted it in late June in northeast Ohio so the weather has been good for it. Normally I fertilize around the time the first silks appear but up until last year ive always grown sweet corn. Painted Mountain is some great corn. I dried it and used it all winter and it is some of the best tasting corn I’ve ever had. Tastes like corn. I would grow more if i had the space and may do so next season. Last year i think i might have overfertilized so i would like to know what to use if anything. I’d like to get the most out this corn because it is really a treat and my wife and I love it. I also grow a lot of beans and pumpkins.
Thanks, and glad to be a member.


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## SLADE (Feb 20, 2004)

We look at the color of the leaves, if they are a nice dark green we don't do anything.


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## headlandsfarmer (Aug 2, 2018)

SRSLADE said:


> We look at the color of the leaves, if they are a nice dark green we don't do anything.


Ok. Thats about what i thought too. I water once a week and let it be.
Thanks.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I like to fertilize when I plant, because it remains in the soil for a bit and it helps the corn put down a good root system. In my area the rain gets sporatic mid-summer and a good root system helps the plant stay healthy


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Sounds like the "3 Sisters" Native American planting would fit right in with your ideas.

The three crops benefit from each other. The maize provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide the nitrogen to the soil that the other plants use, and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight, helping prevent the establishment of weeds. The squash leaves also act as a "living mulch", creating a microclimate to retain moisture in the soil, and the prickly hairs of the vine deter pests. Corn, beans, and squash contain complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and all eight essential amino acids, allowing most Native American tribes to thrive on a plant-based diet.[7]


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## headlandsfarmer (Aug 2, 2018)

Wolf mom said:


> Sounds like the "3 Sisters" Native American planting would fit right in with your ideas.
> 
> The three crops benefit from each other. The maize provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide the nitrogen to the soil that the other plants use, and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight, helping prevent the establishment of weeds. The squash leaves also act as a "living mulch", creating a microclimate to retain moisture in the soil, and the prickly hairs of the vine deter pests. Corn, beans, and squash contain complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and all eight essential amino acids, allowing most Native American tribes to thrive on a plant-based diet.[7]


That is what is happening although i didnt plan it that way. I grow half- runner beans up the corn stalks because my pole beans can get 8 to 10 feet tall. I grow mostly Native American beans because they grow well in dry conditions and are extremely productive. I also grow Amish and early American beans. With only about 1,000 square feet of space i usually cram things in pretty close together but once they get going there isnt much maintenance as beans and corn are harvested for dry use anyway and the pumpkins and squash wont be ripe until fall. Our heirloom tomatoes from last year self- seeded in the tomato bed so we just let them grow. We have what amounts to a tomato forest.


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

Where do you get your vit c using mostly corn, beans and squash?


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## headlandsfarmer (Aug 2, 2018)

anniew said:


> Where do you get your vit c using mostly corn, beans and squash?


Fresh fruit and juices.


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

Ah, that wasn't included in the original idea of what to plant...so fresh fruit is available year round in limited geographic areas, I assume. To buy them cancels out the self-sufficient idea, I'd think. Or, does fresh fruit that you can still contain the vit. c that is required in a diet? Anyone know? 
I was thinking more along the greens line...maybe growing inside in the cold months...


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## SLADE (Feb 20, 2004)

You get some vit c from the squash and B3 that you need if you don't treat the corn with lye. You keep the vit c in the green beans if you blanch and freeze them.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

From the tomato forest...….

geo


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## headlandsfarmer (Aug 2, 2018)

Painted Mountain Corn update.
Well the racoons got in so i picked most of the corn fresh in order to save it from being eaten. I guess i’ll dry it anyway although it probably will not produce the colored kernels like it would have if it could have dried on the stalk. Ive never dried fresh corn before. Any ideas?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

The best way to dry corn is to leave it on the plant. Unless it matures on the plant it won't be fertile. Not sure how ground cornmeal or corn for parched corn would work if picked too early. 

Sorry to hear about your raccoon problem. One year I eliminated 23 of them before making a dent in the population. Still get 5 or 6 a year, just to keep from being overrun. I can't grow corn because of the raccoons.


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## SLADE (Feb 20, 2004)

You'll get corn if you peetrol all around your corn patch


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