Tomorrow is set for our first harvest and these past three weeks have been filled with preparations. I have been communicating with the Central Illinois Foodbank to organize our donation. We met last week so that they could come by and see our farm and we could best determine how they can get the corn back to their warehouse. Both sides left the meeting with a clear understanding of what needed to be done. I have really enjoyed this new aspect of my job. Planning how the donation will work out and communicating with the Foodbank for the foundation has been interesting and I have learned a lot already and we have not even started to harvest.


Yesterday we tried out our picker and wagon contraption to see how it works. There are still a few glitches that we will address and try to troubleshoot during harvest, but the device did a pretty good job and the corn goes up the conveyor belt straight into the crates that we built. There is a lot of sweet corn to be harvested tomorrow and it will feed a lot of mouths. I am glad to finally begin harvesting because we have been preparing and discussing how it will all work out for so long that it will be nice to finally put our plan to the test. 


It is hard to believe that it is already July, though this heat is a clear indication that we are in the middle of the summer. The sweet corn that was planted after I got here is really hurting from this drought and if it continues any longer, there is not likely to be any sweet corn donated to the Foodbank late in the summer but we will see. 

Getting ready for harvest tomorrow, hope it runs smoothly and the corn gets to the people who need it.

Sweet corn a week from being harvested on the plant.

Ears of sweet corn showing signs of the drought - some of the kernels have not filled.

Sweet corn harvester attached to tractor with wagon and crates on the back