b'GLOBALGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATION SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 thPLACE PLACE PLACE PLACEGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATION SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN1 st 2 nd 3 rdPLACE PLACE PLACEGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONCANADIAN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN TOP INNOVATION1 st 2 nd 3 rdPLACE PLACE PLACEGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONMEET CANADAS CORN REBELSSHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN1 st 2 nd 3 rd A father-daughter team from Ontario are reinventing corn flour from the field up.Marc ZienkiewiczPLACE PLACE PLACEIN A WORLD OF biotech precision,Dr. Francis Glenn and his daughter Margo Lee of Glenn Seed are doing something almost unthinkable: theyre innovating in corn using traditional plant breeding. And theyre winning in their field.Tucked away in southern Ontario, the GLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGlenns arent going against the grainSHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN theyve created a whole new kind of corn. 1 st 2 nd 3 rd Francis Glenn is known in the ag PLACE PLACE PLACEworld for his work in silage corn. His varieties, bred for soft kernels and digest-ibility, were already a hit among cattle producers. But something unexpected happened: that soft, floury kernel turned out to be delicious.Wed be working in fields all day and Id get hungry, Francis says with a laugh. So, Id start tasting kernels. Some were bitter, some were blandbut some had this beautiful, nutty, toasty flavour.Floury corn kernels have a white powdery appearance when broken into pieces.It got us thinking: what else could this corn do other than feed animals? An Unlikely Innovation Pipeline global breeding effort that is systemati-Fast-forward to today: the GlennsFrancis, now 78, started Glenn Seedcally developing floury corn hybrids. are pioneering a new food-grade cornin 1980. His breeding approach isMost breeders are selecting for hard category, one that didnt even exist untilmethodical, deeply hands-on, andkernels and rapid drying. We did the they invented itfloury corn. Unlikedefiantly low-techa stark contrast tooppositesoft texture, slow drying typical corn bred for density and durabil- the high-throughput, marker-assisted because it makes better silage. And ity, their hybrids are soft, delicate, andbreeding that dominates todays cornit turns out, it makes better food for rich in flavour. And unlike most gluten- breeding landscape. In his words, Wepeople, too, says Francis.free products on the marketwhichdont just cross plantswe live withMargo, 42, is also a plant breeder, Margo notes are often white, bland andthem. thanks to years of apprenticeship under joylessthis corn transforms into richThat slow, deliberate method hasher father and her ongoing pursuit of golden pasta, silky tortillas, and evengiven rise to something rare: a com- a masters degree in plant breeding. cakes, waffles and cookies with greatpletely proprietary and globally uniqueTogether, theyve pushed the envelope texture, flavour and appearance. Thisline of corn. Floury corn is so distincteven furthernot just breeding new isnt just a substitute, Margo says. Itsthat theres virtually nothing else likefood-grade hybrids but collaborating something entirely new. It has its ownit in the worldaside from some rarewith chefs and food scientists to develop flavour, its own mouthfeel, its own story.Mexican landraces that share its softrecipes from scratch. Brownies, tortillas, And its Canadian. Whats more, itskernel trait. To their knowledge, thepastasall created through trial and identity preserved and non-GMO. Glenns program is the only successfulerror using this one-of-a-kind corn.10 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA JULY 2025'