Olathe Tuxedo Corn harvest begins, new pest damages crop

OLATHE, Colo. ( KREX ) — John Harold owns Tuxedo Corn with his wife and son, one of the main original producers of the famous Olathe sweet corn. Each of the ears are picked by hand, since their special varieties can be bruised when picked mechanically.

Harold told FOX31 sister station, WesternSlopeNow, that 42 people operate each of the mule trains, a giant modified army machine used by field workers to sort through the corn and dump the crop in crates.

Harold expects to start shipping volume corn in early August.

After the mule train fills up, another truck comes to get the filled crates and drop off empty ones, then drives to the packing plant a few miles away, where the corn is iced and separated.

Even with up to 1.5 million ears picked and packed in a day, Harold says it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Both Harold and his son David tell WesternSlopeNow about 30% of their crop is damaged this year, though they’re hopeful that could turn around before the season ends.

Last year, roughly the same amount was damaged by moths that laid eggs in the corn, which then turned into worms eating their way out before cocooning. After somewhat taming the moth debacle, this year holds a new problem…blackbirds that open up the shucks of the corn, allowing beetles and other creatures to wander their way in.

Despite the setbacks, David says Tuxedo Corn will make sure the crop they are able to harvest is of the same quality they are known for. Just how much that will be though, is the question.

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