Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of 2
In 2018, Chris Smith grew 76 varieties of okra. One of the varieties was a USDA accession called Puerto Rico Evergreen, which was collected in May 1953 at the Rio Piedras Experiment Station in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Evergreen stood out from the beginning – it was early, productive and delicious (ranking highly in a number of taste tests). The plants were tall and beautiful with solid red-green stems. The pods were generally green with red blushing and a mix of rounded to ridged in shape. There was a range of spininess, but some pods were super smooth. It quickly became one of Chris’ favorite okras. In 2019 and 2020, Chris shared seeds with SESE founder, Jeff McCormack, who now also describes it as his favorite okra. Since 2018, Chris has made consistent selections for pods that are smooth to velvety, rounded in shape (i.e. no ridges), and with significant red blushing. The pods are quite long and thin and can generally be harvested around 6 inches in length. Chris has also continued to select for flavor, and in 2021 partnered with Chef Terri Terrell to make harsh selections based on great taste. There is a sweet pea flavor that comes through in some of the plants, but they are all delicious.
There are still some off-types that show up, and some variation in branching, stalk color and even the occasional spiny pod, but the variety has stabilized to a point where we’re happy to share it with you. Chris has also renamed his population, Puerto Rico Everblush, to distinguish it from the original genetics and to reflect the direction he has taken this variety, but he also wants to acknowledge that Puerto Evergreen was a great variety from the start and although we don’t know the full history, some great work was obviously done in Puerto Rico.
Chris’ dreams for this variety are to select it to be a little shorter and to try and to increase the yield. One spinoff project in the works is a cross between Puerto Rico Everblush and another favorite of Chris’, Aunt Hettie’s Red! Watch this space!!
Delia Jovel Dubón, Tierra Fértil Coop, Newfound Community, NC
“Tierra Fértil Coop is a social and economic initiative of a group of Hispanic community members living in Henderson County, North Carolina. This project stemmed from personal and collective dreams of promoting access to resources and capacity to produce food and in this way, stimulate food justice and racial equity in the local food and agricultural system.
Through a farmer cooperative that is “an autonomous association of people united voluntarily to meet our common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise” we are not just filling personal aspirations but prioritizing community ambitions that include food autonomy and access to healthy nutritious and culturally appropriate food.
As Tierra Fértil Coop, we want to honor the hard work, expertise, and legacy of farm workers in Henderson County and western NC by creating an opportunity for present and future generations of Latinx people to make radical changes on the food, health, agricultural, and labor system.”
