Hello

There are times when a farmer must just zip it. For example, when "city folks" ask to buy a half a cow. I know what they mean. They want to buy freezer beef; ideally some beef of good cutting quality, particularly a fat steer or heifer.

For us farmers, the cow is the momma. She's often older (tougher), leaner (from milk down), and not the best eating. The steer (castrated male) or heifer (unbred, young female) are the best eating. They are young (tender) and fed a diet to finish them (add marbling).

Well, the same goes for corn. Not all corn is the same. You'll see corn everywhere in Ohio when driving around. Much of it isn't for you to eat. Read below to learn more about the different types of corn.

More news this week
Canning Items online: roma tomatoes, sweet corn (for freezing)

Weekend Picnic? Don't forget tasty and healthy whole wheat hamburger buns and hot dog buns

Steak Burgers on sale. We resized the steak burgers to a more "bun size" diameter and a bit thicker. They are a really nice size right now. Each patty is about 6 oz and there are 4 per package (total weight of 1.25# per package). These burgers are made from the tender trim from beef ribeyes, sirloins, strip loins, and tenderloin. Sale Price: $12 per package
First, a Note about Wormy Corn.
It's a harmless worm or douse it in chemicals
This week is the last of this year's sweet corn harvest. I'm actually surprised we haven't come across this more yet.

Corn is prone, particularly late season, to corn earworm. It's a caterpillar that starts at the tip of the corn and works its way down into the ear.

Often times in grocery stores you will find corn on a styrofoam tray wrapped in plastic. It has no husk and the ear is "squared up" with no tip. The reason why? 1) It's convenient for the customer. 2) It hides how dried out and old the corn husk is. 3) They cut off the wormy tip.

As an organic grower, we have few options for controlling the earworm. The best option is a product called Dipel, which is contains beneficial bacteria derived from soil and flowers. The bacteria (bacillus thuringiensis, aka bt) is effective against the larvae and prevents the worms from growing and becoming a pest. However, pesticides are only as effective as nature allows them to be. With the excessive rain lately, it was difficult to apply the pesticide at the right time.

Conventional growers have many other chemical options. We choose not to use those.

As a result, you may have a corn earworm. We have tried checking for it, but we can not open every tip of every corn. In general, the damage is limited to the tip and is harmless. Please just cut off the tip of the corn and say good bye to the earworm. Think of it as a sign that your corn is clean and healthy without harmful chemicals!
(photo above: dent corn stored in a corn crib to be ground as "ear corn" for livestock, including dairy cows, hogs, and chickens

Sweet Corn, Dent Corn, and Flint Corn
Most corn you see grown around Ohio is not intended for human consumption. It is field corn, a form of "dent corn," that is harvested when the ear is dried down and falls over. It's kind of cool how nature protects the cob. When it is mature, the cob falls forward and rain runs off of the ear allowing it to be dried down. When the kernel dries down, often to about 15% to 20% moisture, the kernels display a "dent."

Dent corn can be processed for human consumption, including cornmeal, cereals, popcorn, etc.

However, most dent corn is grown either for processing into animal feed or ethanol production. The byproducts of corn are then used in industry for countless uses from making plastics to carpet dies, among literally countless uses.

Flint corn is more commonly referred to as Indian corn and is used as decorations in the fall.

Sweet corn is a species of corn where the cob can be harvested "fresh" and the sugars are still present (not converted to starch). Sweet corn plants are generally much smaller and harvest is done by hand. A very small percentage of roadside corn is sweet corn.
Still Time To Join this Season - Prorated
As our season continues, please tell a friend to join us for the remainder of the season.

All subscriptions are prorated for upfront payments or on the weekly payment plan, so you only pay for the remainder of the season.
Bag Contents
Small Omnivore
Green Onion Brats
Star and Moon Seedless Watermelon
Carrots
Multi-color beets
Zucchini
Candy Onion
Sweet Corn
Peaches



Small Vegetarian
Star and Moon Seedless Watermelon
Carrots
Multi-color beets
Zucchini
Candy Onion
Sweet Corn
Peaches
Sweet Peppers
Apples
Radish/Kale
Mini
Star and Moon Seedless Watermelon
Multi-color beets
Zucchini
Candy Onion
Carrots
Large Omnivore
Green Onion Brats
Star and Moon Seedless Watermelon
Carrots
Multi-color beets
Zucchini
Candy Onion
Sweet Corn
Peaches
Cantaloupe (personal size)
Green Beans
Garlic
Eggplant
Chicken Drumsticks


Large Vegetarian
Star and Moon Seedless Watermelon
Carrots
Multi-color beets
Zucchini
Candy Onion
Sweet Corn
Peaches
Sweet Peppers
Apples
Radish/Kale
Cantaloupe (personal size)
Green Beans
Garlic
Eggplant
All Purpose Flour
Grape/Cherry Tomatoes









Small Vegan
Star and Moon Seedless Watermelon
Carrots
Multi-color beets
Zucchini
Candy Onion
Sweet Corn
Peaches
Sweet Peppers
Apples
Radish/Kale
For more recipes, visit our archive at https://freshforkmarket.com/recipes/
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