Last Two Cobs Of Heirloom Corn Could Help Grow Food In Climate Crisis

"Hurricane Florence was targeting Campbell Coxe’s farm. Days earlier, the 2018 storm had rapidly intensified in the Atlantic, and now Darlington County, South Carolina, was in the path.

Coxe had to make a quick decision: Which of his family’s crops was he going to save?

“When you only have 24 hours, you pick the most valuable one,” recalled Coxe.

He chose the Jimmy Red corn, an heirloom crop that generations of moonshiners knew for its nutty sweet flavor and high oil content. But scientists also know it as one of a few plants that could help society grow food amid the climate crisis, as temperatures get hotter, fresh water becomes scarce and storms get stronger."

Jeremy Harlan reports for CNN November 18, 2023.