I am research Director of the Mandaamin Institute. The Institute is a nonprofit organization that is mainly devoted to developing crops for organic farming. Our major emphasis is on corn that is nitrogen fixing and has very high nutritional value. Conventionally grown corn depends on massive quantities of nitrogen fertilizer and pesticides. The fertilizer contributes to contamination of well and surface waters. It pollutes the Mississippi, causes the Gulf Dead Zone, and is a major contributor to green house gas emission.We have developed nitrogen fixing corn that needs less fertilizer and is better adapted to compete under low input farming systems. The nitrogen is fixed by bacteria that live in conjunction with the corn.Our breeding program has undergone 49 cycles of breeding and selection in summer and winter nurseries. Studies with organic farmers in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana indicate that our top hybrids have competitive yields relative to commercial hybrids under fertilized conditions and even better yields when fertilizer inputs are reduced. We are releasing hybrids together with Foundation Organic Seed company based in Onalaska, Wisconsin. Two years of studies on 26 sites with the University of Illinois in the three states showed that, relative to commercial hybrids, our corn has highly elevated levels of oil and protein, the essential amino acids methionine and lysine, carotenoids, and trace minerals. Because our corn is more nutrient dense it represents a significant game changer, especially for organic poultry nutrition, altering needs for expensive and controversial feed inputs. Our breeding program has been highly productive because it utilizes natural evolution that occurs in corn when it is grown under low input organic conditions. This includes the development of unique partnerships between corn plants and endophytic bacteria that are seed-borne and function in helping the plant to endure stress and obtain nutrients. As a consequence of our long-term experience we have developed the partnership breeding paradigm as a holistic approach for field crop breeding. This approach utilizes the plant’s creative, body-forming/striving for fitness, assesses whole body performance and plant/microbial partnerships, and exercises human observation, judgement skills, and insight to improve capacities and performance of breeders. To learn more visit https://mandaamin.org