05/17/06 Providing corn seed for the world

Later this summer you bite into an ear of sweet corn realize that the seed for that corn probably came from southwestern Idaho. CLINTON "There's a small production area up in the Moses Lake area and there's a little done back in the Midwest but at this point 85 percent is probably produced right here in this valley, world wide production." Crookham Seed vice president Terry Clinton says his company and the other four major sweet corn seed companies are located in Canyon County. Crookham has 85 to 100 growers they depend on each year for their corn seed, some of them fourth generation growers. CLINTON "Now here in the last several years we have a turnover maybe of five, six, seven growers a year because of either retiring or selling their land. But we've been lucky enough to pick up growers that have had a little bit of knowledge in sweet corn and stuff so that's balanced out pretty well." Obviously grower yields can vary depending on several factors, including the variety. CLINTON "Seven, 800 pounds to the acre up to say 25 hundred to three thousand pounds to the acre." But there are some dark clouds on the horizon for this 95 year old Caldwell company. That part of the story tomorrow. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott