On Wednesday, State Representative Tom Gerhold, and State Senator Tim Kapucian along with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig met in Shellburg to visit the Tiny But Mighty Popcorn.

Learning a bit about the seed that made the company a hit across the country, the staff shared a bit about the history.


The seed variety was discovered by Samuel Kelty in Shellsburg in the 1850s and kept in the Kelty family for over 100 years. The seed has never been genetically modified or hybridized to become something that it isn't. This little heirloom has a footprint in hundreds of Whole Foods stores and exports to Canada plus three countries in Europe.


Richard Kelty, a 3rd generation grower, kept planting, with the dream of sharing this amazing popcorn with the rest of the world. Having trouble with the yield of this rare seed, at the time called K&K Popcorn (for Kelty & Kramer), he hired a farmer and soil consultant to help. That farmer was Gene Mealhow, who is the current caretaker of Tiny But Mighty Popcorn, which is often referred to as TBM Popcorn. The popcorn is full of mighty flavor and has captured hearts and taste buds across America and beyond.

Gene Mealhow got his start as a plant and crop consultant, but eventually found his way into the popcorn business once his client work led him to realize the potential of the industry in the 80s/90s. Gene Mealhow is now the owner.

In 2004 Tiny But Mighty got it's big break when the New York Times ran a profile piece on then-virtually-unknown Farmer Gene and his natural popcorn farming business. Within the week, he had 10,000 orders and was working around the clock to stuff boxes and hand-write the labels in the basement of his old hog shed. Gene Mealhow automatic seed sorter takes 350+ pictures a second, automatically sorting seeds by quality and color gradation. The equipment is what has led him to scale up so quickly.

Secretary Naig makes it a point to visit all 99 counties, every year, to interact with the people, who produce the products, and visit the places that call Iowa home. Because his position as Secretary is to promote all aspects of agriculture. Secretary Mike Naig leads the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship which serves the rural and urban residents that call Iowa home. Through its 12 bureaus, the Department ensures animal health, food safety and consumer protection. It also promotes conservation efforts to preserve our land for the next generation. You can learn more at iowaagriculture.gov.


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