The summer after grade 7, I tried growing corn in sand. I did! (I wasn’t one light young.)
I loved popcorn. I still do, but then I was obsessed with popcorn. For my birthday that year, I got my very own hot air popcorn. Once upon a time it was the latest technology. Well, to me that was it.
One day my mom casually mentioned that if I planted a popcorn kernel, a corn plant would grow. This got me thinking: I could grow my own popcorn?!? Then again, I wasn’t a smart kid.
Anyway, the next day I set out to grow my own popcorn.
The only problem was that we lived among the sand dunes next to Lake Michigan. The soil was not ideal for growing anything. Yes, it was sand! This did not deter me. I took my handful of popcorn kernels and planted them next to the beach grass that grew sparsely around our house. I watered the soil (I mean, sand) diligently. My parents and older siblings giggled and thought I was crazy. Then the most incredible thing happened: Tiny little corn plants grew out of the sand next to the beach grass.
My family was shocked. I was happy and proud. I grew corn!
Then the corn plants died. The where sand, after all. You can’t grow corn in sand. (At least I couldn’t.)
This summer I grow corn again, now in a suburb of New York. My wife and kids giggle at me and think I’m crazy. This is my third year in a row trying to grow corn successfully. If my recent crops are any indication, I will probably be feeding my family this summer a whole meal of corn from all my effort.
Can I cheaply buy fresh corn almost anywhere? Sure! But I didn’t grow that corn.
Besides, I’m still not that energetic.
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Story produced by Lucie Kirk. Editor: Mike Levine.
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