The Corn Requested By Name

Every pocket in the Grand Traverse region seems to have its favorite sweet corn. Around Kingsley and Buckley, it’s the corn from Dick Olds. In western Leelanau County, people look forward all summer to Shimek’s sweet corn.

And at downtown Traverse City's Sara Hardy Farmers Market, people gravitate to the big wagon full of Hall’s sweet corn. They go crazy for Hall’s at Gallagher’s Farm Market west of town. Same at Burritt’s, Deering’s Meat Market, Marvin’s Garden Spot, or Hall’s own stand on North Long Lake Road.

Marsha Blackford, who owns Marvin’s Garden Spot with her husband Marvin, says she’s had people asking for Hall’s corn since June. “I have probably a dozen a day. I couldn’t go a year without it,” she says.

“We’ve known Dan [Hall] since before he grew corn. He takes his corn farming very seriously. The deal we made before opening was that Dan would wholesale to us,” Blackford says.

Though some insist otherwise, Dan Hall swears there’s no real secret to his juicy, flavorful sweet corn. Just the best varieties, picked when they’re most flavorful. “We take particular care of it,” he says.

Hall credits Frank Lepinski, who was in seed sales in Buckley, with persuading him to try growing corn. “We decided to try five acres,” he says. That was in 1990. When the corn and sales of same flourished, Hall decided to keep going and growing. “It grew from there to 20. Now it’s 45 acres.”

Hall ascribes much of his success to the decision to irrigate. Ensuring that the growing stalks have plenty of water keeps the corn happy, he says, and that in turn makes customers happy.

Hall says it’s also imperative to harvest corn at just the right time for the best flavor. “You have to pick it at the correct age," he says. "You can get it when it’s underripe, overripe, or when it’s perfect." Hall says there only "about three days” to pick the corn for optimum ripeness.

Hall plants some 14 varieties of corn, from those that mature in just two months to his favorite, which takes nearly four weeks longer. The later-maturing variety takes that long to build the sugar and large kernels, according to Hall. “Providence is 82 days. It is the best-tasting, hands-down.”

“But we don’t want to wait till Labor Day” to eat it, he continues. Hence the decision to plant an assortment of corn, as well as doing sequential planting. “Every three days I plant more,” says Hall of the Providence varietal.

Hall does admit he’s had some people complain that the early corn isn’t as good as they remember, saying, “That doesn’t taste like it did last year.” Hall says that’s because people remember the taste of Providence, and the early corn doesn’t quite measure up. But since you can’t compare them side-by-side, it’s best to enjoy the early corn and know the flavor will just keep getting better as the season goes on.

This year, a cool May kept the corn from growing as fast as it typically does, delaying the harvest. “Last year we were open at this time,” Hall says. But customers craving their annual Hall's corn fix are now in luck: The farm will open its sweet corn and vegetable stand on North Long Lake Road Sunday (August 6) at 9am. The stand will remain open seven days a week from 9am to 7pm for the rest of the season. The company takes special orders of five dozen ears or corn or more by leaving a voicemail at 231-946-2985.