Sweet Corn

Sweet corn, a late summer, garden grown treat that is a good source of vitamins C and A, potassium and fiber. Homes across America will put up thousands of ears of the sweet delight in order to fill their freezer. It is ranked as the third most important crop in the world. For many families, growing an acre or two of sweet corn, is a good way to make extra income. Like the Helms family in Emmett, Idaho. Father Mark. “We've got about an acre of corn planted. We have two different varieties. Trinity and extra tender. All you have to do is peel it back and, that's good corn. We have gauged our planting so that we have about 150 dozen per week for harvest. We pay for the operation and all of our expenses first and then we share all of the money with our kids for their college funds, their mission funds, whatever they are going to need in the future."

 

Oldest crew member, 17-year-old Rachel, begins college this fall at Boise State University. She liked her dad’s idea of sharing the profits and says the planting process can be hard but the harvest makes it all worth it. "I wasn’t excited for the physical labor. I'm not a farm girl really. The financial idea was a good idea. So I went along with it. I grew to like it. Harvesting is my favorite part because they eat it right off the ears and you can see the result of your hard work”.

 

Father Mark says the main revenue is not cash but work ethic. "The main revenue is our kids learning how to work. That will pay off in dividends down the road for a long time.”

 

The operation is a pic and deliver service with a Facebook page that generates new sales and a 20 to 30 dozen order is common and Mark expects to have corn until mid-September, then stage II of the farm operation begins.

 

"We save our cornstalks and bundled them up. One of the reasons we have two varieties is we want different heights of cornstalks for our bundles for fall decorations. This year we've added Indian corn and colorful plume so we should have four different heights and a nice variety of corn stock for doorstep decorations.”

 

In case you're wondering, to put up 20 dozen ears of corn was a crew of four, plan on a full days work.