What's Poppin'
Heirloom popcorn growing in the Delta
John Mark Looney, Jr. isn’t one to walk away from a challenge. So, in 2016 when a friend offhandedly asked whether his family had ever tried to grow popcorn on their farm just outside of Leland, Mississippi, a seed—or rather a kernel—of an idea planted itself in his mind. Looney started doing some research, exploring different varieties of popcorn. His dad, Mark, Sr., happily contributed an acre of their 2,700-acre Six Mile Farm to his son’s project. Today, that one acre popcorn crop has grown to twenty stretching out behind the family home.
Popcorn is, of course, corn. And the Looney family has been growing corn—along with cotton, rice, soybeans, and other commodity crops—for three generations. But popcorn has a smaller cob and kernel than traditional corn and must be picked when the moisture content is just right (Looney aims for 12.8%) to achieve the best pop. The learning curve, though, was adequately balanced by the effects of the rich Delta soil and the abundance of Mississippi sunshine.
“Maybe it's the Mississippi Delta climate. Maybe it's the short trip from the field to the bag. But people say Crop to Pop is what popcorn is ‘supposed’ to taste like.” —John Mark Looney, Jr.
Seven years in, no one is as surprised as Looney that Crop to Pop Popcorn has been such a success. “I really don't know what makes our product so great, but ever since our first crop of popcorn, people have told us that it tastes fresher [than store-bought popcorn],” he shrugged. “Maybe it's the Mississippi Delta climate. Maybe it's the short trip from the field to the bag. But people say Crop to Pop is what popcorn is ‘supposed’ to taste like.” One big difference is that all the kernels in a Crop to Pop bag are the same variety, while most major brands include a mix of cultivars. So, you know you’ll get the same great, fresh popcorn every time.
[Read about Home Place Pastures' efforts to raise ethical meat in Como, Mississippi, here.]
The variety of corn Looney eventually decided on is yellow butterfly corn, and the oil he recommends for popping is duck fat—although some customers have insisted that truffle oil, olive oil, or brown butter is better. Those customers were cultivated one by one as Looney cold-called businesses, starting close to the farm then working his way out around the state. “We’re in twelve states now,” said his proud mama, Rhonda. “And it’s happened mostly through word of mouth. Once someone tries our popcorn, they can taste the difference. Someone will buy some in Mississippi then return to their home state and start asking for it there.”
From the beginning, Looney determined to sell only to small, family-owned businesses while handling the wholesale side of things. A buddy in nearby Cleveland, Mississippi designed the packaging, a no-nonsense craft-paper bag that boasts the fact that the product is farm-raised in Tribbett, Mississippi and features a message from the farmer on the back concluding with, “My mother says it’s the best popcorn that she has ever had.”
"Once someone tries our popcorn, they can taste the difference. Someone will buy some in Mississippi then return to their home state and start asking for it there.” —Rhonda Looney
The popcorn has been a big hit in specialty shops and boutiques, general stores, restaurants, produce stands, and farmers markets throughout the South and even as far away as New York state. A couple of Louisiana CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) memberships have begun offering Crop to Pop to their members, and countless bags have found their way into suitcases as folks carry a taste of Mississippi home with them.
Six Mile Farm is still the only popcorn farm in the state of Mississippi, and as Looney has headed off to meet his next challenge—law school—Rhonda is happily accepting the reins. “The trick is getting a business to make their first order,” she said. “Once they see how well this popcorn sells, future order are almost a guarantee. My biggest challenge right now is that when I visit all these cute, little specialty shops and boutiques, I can’t seem to leave without buying something.”
Find two recipes by regional chefs, using Crop to Pop popcorn, here: Blackened Redfish Creole with Bacon Fat Popcorn and Deviled Eggs & Popcorn.