The One Where We Eat Corn.

Growing up, we lived on an acreage.  My dad called it a hobby farm, but to me, it was just a farm.  In the evenings and weekends after work, Dad would run his tractor and plow up the two fields behind the house.  In later years, he rented them out to neighbors to farm. 

Every summer, my mom had him plow up the garden on the other side of our lane and she (us included) would plant 100 tomato plants and other items.

The season just seems right to do some planting right now, but since I neglected my raised garden last year, it's full of weeds and dandelions...  Two days ago, I sprayed it with Roundup and the weeds are looking pretty sad today.  GOOD.  However I think I need to wait 3 weeks or so before digging it all up and planting.  Eh, no sweat.  I probably won't have time for a month anyway...

Anyway, back to the farm.  For several years, Dad would plant sweet corn in one of the fields and that would be a money maker for our family late that summer.  As soon as the corn was ready, Mom had us in the fields bright and early and we'd walk those corn rows plucking corn off the stalks and filling five gallon buckets.  When they were full, we'd bring them back to the end of the row and dump them into either her trunk or the back end of a station wagon, depending on what car she was driving at the time. 

Then we'd pull up anywhere in town near a grocery store and sell sweetcorn by the dozen out of the back end of the car.  I remember that smell of the corn and how sticky my hands and arms would be at the end of the day.  If we still had corn leftover after the 5 o'clock rush was done, Mom would have us go door to door in neighborhoods selling it at half price to folks getting ready for supper.

But we'd always have at least a dozen set aside for our own supper.  mmmmmm.... 

I live in Iowa, where every household owns corn skewers.  seriously...  And it is delicious stuff!!

My own daughter hates bugs.  If you've ever purchased corn at a street corner, you know that there could potentially be worms in the corn.  right?  The worst thing is to find half a worm...  Well, that's what she did once and totally got grossed out.

So her big thing is that whenever we buy corn at a corner somewhere, she asks them if they've used pesticides on it.  If they haven't, then we're not buying from that vendor.  seriously...

So you see... pesticides do serve a purpose!  They help kids eat their vegetables.