When I (Dad’s daughter, Jennifer) was a kid, Dad always planted a couple acres of sweet corn so that he could offer it to family, friends, and landlords. But it wasn’t until 1999 that I began selling the sweet corn in my free time in the Carmel area where I live. Before long, our sweet corn had developed a loyal following—so my brother Andrew and I transitioned to the Carmel Farmers’ Market, where we sold sweet corn for the next 5 years.

As Dad saw the business consistently growing each year, he decided to seriously get behind our part-time gig. In 2005, he increased the number of acres dedicated to sweet corn, and we changed our name to My Dad’s Sweet Corn. At the same time, my Uncle Mark (Dad’s brother) moved back to the area after living in Houston for nearly 20 years. Uncle Mark was instrumental in establishing our logo and aiding with several aspects of our marketing efforts.

Since 2005, we have increased our sweet corn acres even more, in addition to experimenting with several different sweet corn seed varieties to better satisfy our customers’ tastes. We’ve also found ways to expand our growing season, to irrigate, and to battle sweet corn pests (such as raccoons, black birds, and ear worms) in a safe and effective way. It seems that each year is a new learning experience.

While we’ve been selling sweet corn since 1999, our fifth-generation family farm dates back more than 125 years! Located in Tipton County, Indiana, Dad took over the farm in 1965 when his dad passed away. Over the more than 50 years that Dad has been farming, he has primarily been a grain farmer, raising corn, soybeans, and most recently, sweet corn.

Most of all, My Dad’s Sweet Corn is a labor of love from Dad and Mom. Every Friday night, all the family gathers with friends and neighbors to pick sweet corn until sunset. Then, in one of her many roles as nurse, cheerleader, secretary, and cook, Mom fixes dinner for all of us. The operation couldn’t succeed without her! We all work very hard, but in a strange kind of way, it is what my family does for fun!

Our business has definitely been a gradual metamorphosis and not an overnight success. There are always factors that we just can’t control…many of them! We always do the best we know and pray about the rest.

All of us feel blessed to be part of a wonderful family led by a unique and wonderful dad. On behalf of myself, big brother Andrew, and little sister Betsy, we thank you all for your continued business and support. We appreciate each and every one of our customers. You have been so supportive and encouraging to Dad and his team. We certainly couldn’t do it without you!