RE: Corn seeds, what to use.
I may be simplifying this too much, in fact I'm almost sure I am
...but go to a local farmer, ask him for a bucket of corn (it will be a variety suited for you zone and soil...of course winter planting may change all the rules on this) and go to it. I think it is illegal for farmers to keep their crop of use it as plant seed the next year, but if theirs no harvest of the planted crop I would think it would be legal. Check local laws.