The Hockaday family has been growing broomcorn since the early 1900’s. Broomcorn looks just like a normal corn plant but it does not develop an ear of corn, instead it has a long piece of coarse-like straw that grows out of the top of the plant. This straw can grow to anywhere from 12-30 inches long.
| |
|
|
I walk through the field and grab the top of the plant and just snap off the straw. Once I pick the broomcorn I lay it out in the sun to dry. This takes approximately one month. Once it is dry, I then take an old fashioned wooden comb, made with nails for teeth, to comb out the the seeds that have collected in the top of the plant. I will get one piece of broomcorn per plant, which means it takes about 200 plants to make one broom. Now you know why it takes me 5 months and 45 minutes to make very broom; 5 months to grow and dry the broomcorn, and 45 minutes to put the broom together.
If you would like to grow your own broomcorn, give us a call. We have broomcorn
seed for sale; you can either plant it in your garden or use it as a great bird
seed.
