What is the History of Collard Greens?
Collard greens date back to prehistoric times. They are practically the dinosaurs of edible plants. One of the oldest members of the cabbage family, and in fact are also known as tree cabbage or non-heading cabbage. Their origin is usually erroneously stated as being African, but they were a Mediterranean dish long before they were popular in Africa.
Greens originated near Greece, but it wasn’t until the first Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in the early 1600s that America got its first taste of the dark green, leafy vegetable. Collard greens were just one of a few select vegetables that African-Americans were allowed to grow and harvest for themselves and their families throughout times of enslavement, and so over the years cooked greens developed into a traditional food. Even after the Africans were emancipated in the late 1800s, their love of greens continued and they kept handing down their well-developed repertoire of greens recipes from one generation to the next.
After the American Civil War, destitute white Southerners began eating collard greens and found what African-Americans had known for ten generations: they are delicious, and nutritious! In fact, collard greens are one of the most nutritious of the cool-season vegetables— they are bursting with vitamins and minerals that help prevent and fight disease. Today, many varieties of greens— collards, mustard, turnips, chard, spinach, and kale are available, but collard greens should be a staple in every healthy garden.
Here at Wingspread Farm we grow three varieties. We harvest when young all the way to the full grown, large leathery leaves. There is never any waste, if there are bugs, or worm eaten holes on them, the chickens get them. Win win for all of us.
Read more about collards here, from one of my favorite culinary geniuses:
Michael W. Twitty.
Collards Grown at Wingspread Farm
70 days. Georgia Southern Collard seeds grow cabbage like dark green leaves, with a slightly crumpled texture. These collard leaves are huge and juicy, making them excellent for salads and the like. These seeds grow a non-heading type. The collard heads are both heat and cold tolerant. Their mild cabbage-like flavor will improve after being exposed to a light frost. Georgia Southern Collard is slow to bolt. Each plant grows 2 to 3 feet tall. Collard leaves are high in Vitamin A, B1, B2, and C.
70 days. Georgia Southern Collard seeds grow cabbage like dark green leaves, with a slightly crumpled texture. These collard leaves are huge and juicy, making them excellent for salads and the like. These seeds grow a non-heading type. The collard heads are both heat and cold tolerant. Their mild cabbage-like flavor will improve after being exposed to a light frost. Georgia Southern Collard is slow to bolt. Each plant grows 2 to 3 feet tall. Collard leaves are high in Vitamin A, B1, B2, and C.
75-85 days. Morris Heading Collard seeds grow slightly crumpled and loose heads. These compact Collard plants have short steamed leaves, and are tolerant to both the heat and the cold. Morris Heading Collard is very rich in vitamins and minerals. The juicy collard leaves have a mild cabbage-like flavor and are delicious boiled, steamed, or as an addition to salads. Plants grow to be up to 36 inches tall.
Every home and victory garden should be growing this vegetable. All you need is a little space or a pot with some soil. You can harvest a few outer leaves at a time, and one plant will nourish a family if included in most soups and stews. Young leaves can be eaten raw or shredded into a sandwich.
Be healthy, be self-reliant.
Love Andie
p.s. I will have seeds available for those who wish to experiment with growing some.