MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill profiles Frank Kutka and his farm near Mahtowa, about an hour south of Duluth. Kutka is experimenting with corn from all over the world to create a variety that will grow up north. His work is attracting attention around the country, and experts are hoping it may result in new crops that will help marginal farms.

Alongside rows of asparagus and other favorite vegetables, Kutka devotes a quarter of an acre to experiments with two dozen varieties of corn. He's trying out seeds from chilly spots around the world. In the popcorn garden, he's cross-breeding plants from the highlands of Mexico and Peru with an early New England variety and a good popper from Iowa.