Sweet Corn

The beginning of April Riley worked up the pasture below our house for a sweet corn plot. He wanted to make a little cash at farmer's market in the summer. With high hopes of getting his corn on the market first, he might even be able to charge top dollar.

Temptation and Sugar Buns seed arrived in the mail and planting went as planned. He got 3 sprinklers set up in the corners and the corn came up!

He had learned that sweet corn and green beans were the most profitable vegetables to sell. He was not interested in picking beans so that left corn growing as the crop experiment.
Throw in some African geese to eat the weeds and we've got a serious project going on.

Riley (and his dad) built a pig panel fence around the patch and moved the goose house down for the poultry's predestined duty.

Unfortunately the timing was off a bit  -(geese too old, corn too young)- and Riley ended up weeding the patch himself...and then just letting the weeds take over.

Also the worms got to the ears before he sprayed for them and the anticipated yummy corn didn't quite produce as expected. It was too wormy too sell and almost too yucky for us to work up. But we did anyway.

"ooh, worms and bugs Mommy!"

one of the better ears

Riley washed his hands of the whole deal, so the girls and I picked, shucked, silked, and put 5 pints in the freezer. Not exactly rewarding, but at least food didn't go to waste! We ate approximately 8 dozen too.

The very next day it rained torrents and flooded the corn patch. This picture was taken after the water receded some, but was still puddled up. So glad the job was finished!

And that is the story of our sweet corn experiment in 2014.

P.S. Riley has half of his seed left, so next year he is going to try again as an experienced vegetable gardener.