{"title":"Janine Farm","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eJanine Ndagijimana's family is from Burundi but she was born in Rwanda in a refugee camp. She now grows acres of this eggplant in order to ship thousands of pounds of fresh fruits to Africans throughout the US, and now she also shares the seeds through our catalog.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo learn more about Janine's eggplant farming story, see these articles:\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.taiwannews.com.tw\/en\/news\/3503331\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\"African refugee grows homeland's bitter eggplants in Vermont\" - Taiwan News\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.globalcitizen.org\/es\/content\/refugee-grows-african-eggplants-in-us\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\"This Refugee Is Growing African Eggplants in the US to Support Her Family\" - Global Citizen\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"intore-african-eggplant","title":"Intore (African Eggplant)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease note: this listing is for \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eSEEDS\u003c\/span\u003e, not fresh eggplants! If you are interested in fresh Intore eggplants as produce, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/trueloveseeds.sbs\/pages\/contact\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eemail us\u003c\/a\u003e and we will put you in touch with our grower, Janine Ndagijimana for purchasing.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an oblong, lobed, white garden egg from Africa that is particularly large and more productive, especially in shorter seasons like northern Vermont where Janine Ndagijimana lives and farms. Janine's family is from Burundi but she was born in Rwanda in a refugee camp. She now grows acres of this eggplant in order to ship thousands of pounds of fresh fruits to Africans throughout the US, and now she also shares the seeds through our catalog.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople like to eat this eggplant for its health benefits and to replace meat in various dishes. They are mixed with beans and veggies, mixed with fish and oil, fried and eaten with sauce, simply boiled, and even eaten fresh like an apple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo learn more about Janine's eggplant farming story, see these articles:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.taiwannews.com.tw\/en\/news\/3503331\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\"African refugee grows homeland's bitter eggplants in Vermont\" - Taiwan News\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.globalcitizen.org\/es\/content\/refugee-grows-african-eggplants-in-us\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\"This Refugee Is Growing African Eggplants in the US to Support Her Family\" - Global Citizen\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDays to maturity:\u003c\/strong\u003e 60 days after transplanting\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeeds per pack:\u003c\/strong\u003e 50-60\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeeds per bulk packet:\u003c\/strong\u003e approx. 500\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGermination rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan\u003e96% on 10\/08\/2026\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlanting \/ harvesting notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are heat-loving and seeds should be started indoors about 1\/4 inches deep, about 8 weeks before the last frost. Transplant into the garden well after the danger of frost. The growing characteristics are similar to most eggplants. The plants reach about 4-5 feet tall and should be planted 12 inches apart. They need full sun and fertile soil. Staking helps as the plants become heavy. The eggplants begin green, but should be picked when they are about 3 inches long and white (and before they turn orange!) They must be picked regularly to keep production and ensure they don't over ripen. For seed saving the fruits ripen to orange.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSeed keeping notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEggplants are generally self-pollinating, though we isolate different varieties of the same species by \u003cspan\u003e300 \u003c\/span\u003efeet, in hopes that flying insects will not cross pollinate them unexpectedly. Eggplant seeds are ripe when the fruits get far past their edible stage, and have turned another color, in this case orange. Cut the fruit, scrape out seeds (perhaps through a heavy-duty screen) into a vessel, add a little water (1-2\" is probably plenty) to your seeds and pulp to keep them from drying out, and allow them to ferment away from direct sunlight. Fermentation is not necessary with eggplants, but it makes seed cleaning a bit easier. Ideally, you will stir the concoction every day for 3-5 days. In the end, add more water to fill the vessel, stir one final time, and allow the seeds to settle. Pour off the floating material and then strain the seeds through a strainer. Sometimes, you will need to add more water and pour off the floating material several times until the water is clear and you can see the seeds sunken at the bottom. Squeeze dry the strained seeds in a towel, and then lay out to dry on a labeled screen or paper product in a ventilated place away from direct sunlight for a week or two.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Janine Farm","offers":[{"title":"Regular packet: 50-60 seeds","offer_id":43967866470638,"sku":"EGG-013","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"BULK PACKET: 500 seeds","offer_id":43967866503406,"sku":"EGG-013-BULK","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2406\/3467\/products\/Intore_AfricanEggplant4edsq.jpg?v=1650043634"},{"product_id":"african-corn","title":"African Corn","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis African Corn is eaten grilled, boiled, fresh, or as flour. African Corn, usually called Maize, is starchy and has tougher kernels than those commonly grown in the United States. Janine Ndagijimana, who is from Burundi, received this seed from her mother in Michigan, and now grows thousands of pounds at her farm in Northern Vermont for her local food bank so they can make corn flour. Corn arrived on the African continent in the 1500s from the Americas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDays to maturity:\u003c\/strong\u003e 100-110\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSeeds per pack:\u003c\/strong\u003e 90-95\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGermination rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 99% on 09\/22\/2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlanting \/ harvesting notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCorn requires warm soil to germinate. Wait a week or two after the last frost and sow seeds directly in the ground. Plant in rows 2-3 feet apart. For good pollination, it is better to plant at least 3-5 shorter rows next to each other rather than one or two long rows. Sow 1 inch deep and thin to every 6-12 inches within the row. Keep soil moist until germination. Consider planting successions every few weeks for continual harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSeed keeping notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCorn is wind pollinated and should be isolated by 2-3 miles from other varieties of corn to avoid unwanted cross-pollination. Another option is to separate your corn plantings by 3-4 weeks so they do not flower\/tassel at the same time. Allow the cobs and kernels to dry on the plants before harvesting for seed. If you are concerned about neighbor's corn plots hybridizing yours, consider only harvesting seed from the plants towards the middle of your plot, leaving the outer rows for eating. If necessary, lay out the cobs to do some final drying before removing the husks and seeds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Janine Farm","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44166601408750,"sku":"ZEA-011","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2406\/3467\/files\/AfricanCorn_3_edsqsm.jpg?v=1684252531"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2406\/3467\/collections\/JanineFarm.jpg?v=1650420567","url":"https:\/\/trueloveseeds.sbs\/collections\/janine-farm.oembed","provider":"Truelove Seeds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}