A truck driver with the Tuxedo Corn Company prepares a load of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn to be transported from a field to the company’s distribution center in Olathe, Colo., on Monday morning, July 22, 2024. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)
Just before sunrise on Monday, July 22, about three dozen workers of the Tuxedo Corn Company enter a corn field, cooled by overnight air, to begin the first full day of harvesting the popular Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn from a field off Falcon Road southwest of Olathe, Colorado.
The workers rip the top ears from each plant and gently toss them into a large mechanical harvester where awaiting workers sort and package them into boxes, four dozen ears of sweet corn per box. From there, the boxes are iced and shipped to Kroger stores across the United States. Colorado residents may see the corn at their local Kroger stores as soon as the following day.
At sunrise, a harvest crew with the Tuxedo Corn Company rip ears of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn from a field off Falcon Road southwest of Olathe, Colo., on Monday morning, July 22, 2024. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)
Kernels of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn are seen reflecting morning light from a field in Olathe, Colo., Monday morning, July 22, 2024. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)
At sunrise, a harvest crew with the Tuxedo Corn Company rip ears of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn from a field off Falcon Road southwest of Olathe Colo., on Monday morning, July 22, 2024. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)
LEFT — Tuxedo Corn Company farmer John Harold inspects ears of corn for quality from a field off Falcon Road southwest of Olathe, Colo., on Monday morning, July 22, 2024. RIGHT — Harold watches as trucks pull in to gather boxes of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn for delivery across the United States on Monday in Olathe. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)
Tuxedo Corn Company farmer John Harold said 2024 harvest numbers are below normal, but he still expects to ship around 300,000 boxes, or about 14.4 million individual ears, of sweet corn from the Olathe countryside. According to Harold, this years operation is dealing with factors like insect infestations that have hindered the farm’s ability to produce the quantity of quality corn they’re used to. An average year’s yield would be roughly 600,000 boxes of corn.
According to Harold, the most they’ve ever shipped in a growing year is 750,000 boxes, or 30 million ears.
At sunrise, a harvest crew with the Tuxedo Corn Company rip ears of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn from a field off Falcon Road southwest of Olathe Colo., on Monday morning, July 22, 2024. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)
At sunrise, a harvest crew with the Tuxedo Corn Company rip ears of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn from a field off Falcon Road southwest of Olathe, Colo., on Monday morning, July 22, 2024. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)
A worker with the Tuxedo Corn Company prepares stickers to place on packages of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn in a packaging facility in Olathe, Colo., on Monday morning, July 22, 2024. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)
Workers with the Tuxedo Corn Company sort ears of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn in a packaging facility in Olathe, Colo., on Monday morning, July 22, 2024. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)
Tuxedo Corn Company farmer John Harold talks on the phone during the morning of the first full day of harvest of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn from a field off Falcon Road southwest of Olathe, Colo., on Monday morning, July 22, 2024. (William Woody, Special to The Denver Post)
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