Iroquois Corn Project

The Corn Project:

The Pinewoods Community Farming project was created in 1997 as the brainchild of John Mohawk. This "Ma and Pa" organization began with the hope that Native Americans would begin to use and appreciate the Iroquois White Corn, that had for so long been their traditional food, once again. John Mohawk had long been an advocate of Iroquois White Corn. This corn is renowned for its slow released carbohydrates. These carbohydrates can be crucial in the fight against diabetes, a disease which has reached epidemic proportions in the Native American community.

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Growth:

The white corn project has grown quickly. The original restaurant situated in the Cattaruagus Reservation is still open. There the corn is hulled and milled after being collected by various Iroquois farmers. John Mohawk realized that if the corn is healthy for Native Americans, there might also be a market among non-Native Americans. He could not have been more right. Not only have the health benefits warranted interest but also the earthy aroma and unusual flavor. In a society where we expect our corn so be unnaturally sweet, this corn has grown a sort of cult following. It has been such a sensation that the project has recently attained national coverage and praise on the pages of Gourmet magazine.

Uses:

Iroquois white corn can be used in a myriad of ways. Two flours can be made from it. The roasted corn flour has the hulls removed by roasting. Then the flour can be used as a healthy substitute for white bread or also for wheat bread. Tamales can be made from it, as can pancakes, stuffing, and muffins. Master chef Bobby Flay has even recently added the products to his personal line. The corn can be used in essentially every dish that common sweet corn can and adds a unique flavor that can often bring new life to trite dishes.

Back At Home:

The leaders of the project have not forgotten their goals at home, even while expanding nationally. Here, at our local Native American historical site, the project have supplied Ganondagan with Iroquois White Corn for festivals and pageants. By supplying the corn, they are teaching people what they are missing out on. Local growers are encouraged to share their knowledge of the crop before this knowledge is lost. Currently, mainly men have showed interest in the project, but efforts have been made to include women. Right now, six farmers are involved in the growing of the corn but eventual expansion is being considered.

Pinewoods Cafe:

The group runs a small restaurant in Gowanda, New York. Here you can sample many of the ways that the corn can be prepared. The menu includes corn and bean soups, chili made with buffalo meat. You can also sample meals with all of the three components of the Iroquois diet represented. Known as the "Three Sisters", beans, corn and squash are often included in dishes. You might get lucky and be fortunate enough to partake in something never before created as Mohawk calls the restaurant "a laboratory of sorts".

Issues:

The project has had a fair share of issues to deal with. The project's members have met resistance from people who are not willing to make the commitment to the corn. The corn takes a much longer time to cook than most people are willing to devote to it. The project also would like to create more of a market before it begins to include more farmers. Many people interested now are those interested in organic foods. They would like the market to be a little more mainstream. The project's members also would like for younger people to become interested. Then the knowledge will pass on to the next generation and the corn will live on.