Frequently Asked Questions

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We grow a variety of crops including sweet corn, muskmelon, watermelon, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, onions, peppers, hot peppers, asparagus, broccoli, kohlrabi, carrots, garlic, snow peas,  cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, cabbage, beets, strawberries, and more.

We plant our sweet corn in succession, about 16-20 times per season during April-July, in order to harvest from a new field every 3-5 days.  Typically, during the first couple of days of harvest from a section, the kernel size and cob size is smaller.  With just a couple of extra days of growing time, the fourth and fifth days of a harvest section will have a larger kernel size and cob.  Also, hot weather can cause the corn to grow faster and larger, and cooler temperatures can slow down growth, keeping a smaller or medium size kernel.  All customers have a different preference for kernel size.  Some individuals prefer young and tender kernels, and others prefer large and plump, heavier kernels. 

In the beginning of the season, we also typically have a smaller cob for our earliest maturing corn, which has the quickest growth time to maturity, in order to have early season corn.  We experiment with different seed varieties each year to try to find the sweetest variety with the best overall result.  

We are not set up for sales at the farm during our main harvest season.  We have found that we have better business at other sales locations in Dubuque during the main season.  We don't have any retail workers at the farm to tend to sales, our workers are out in the fields harvesting.  Please visit us at our retail locations in Dubuque.  We may allow for spring  season purchases of flowers at our greenhouses, at designated hours. 

We do not ship any produce, as we cannot guarantee its freshness.  However, many of our customers do ship our corn to their friends and families.  

We do plant different varieties of sweet corn with different maturities throughout the season.  There is a difference in the flavor from our earliest varieties to our main varieties.  Our main varieties tend to be sweeter.  Also, late season corn can be very sweet, as cooler night temperatures can trap the sugars in the kernels, achieving a high level of sweetness.

We offer discounts for freezing corn at different times throughout our season.  We tend to offer a special when we have a large abundance of corn, and the kernels on the cob are a large enough size that it would have a good yield if cut from the cob.  We plant our corn in succession, usually 16-20 plantings for a season, so that we can pick out of a new field every three to five days.  This way the corn will always be fresh, sweet, and tender.  Typically, on the first day or two of a section, the cobs will have smaller kernels, which are delicious for fresh eating, but don't always produce a good yield if one were to cut the kernels from the cob.  During the fourth or fifth day for picking from a section, the kernel size is typically larger, and better for cutting from the cob to produce a good yield (but we don't like to pick the corn when it is too far gone, it should still be tender and sweet).  These are still good for fresh eating as well.  We would offer a freezing special when the kernel size is good for cutting from the cob.  Sometimes, mother nature has other plans for our harvest, despite our efforts to plant in succession.  High heat can cause fields to overlap, and we may have too much corn coming ready at once.  When the area we are harvesting in is abundant, we may also offer a special, so that we can sell the corn before it becomes overdone.  There is just a small window of time to pick the corn while it is at its best.  We don't want to pick too young, and we don't want it to be too mature.  The freezing specials could happen at any point in the season, although we don't usually offer specials within the first couple weeks of our harvest season.

We only allow for pick-your-own strawberries during a designated period, after we have finished with pre-picked strawberries.  We will announce when this becomes available each year.  We don't typically allow for picking of other produce, due to federal regulations of the Food Safety Modernization Act.