There's a difference between "fresh" corn and corn picked the same morning. You can measure it by time zones.
I know. Jerry Suter told me. I watched his crew pick corn this morning. By now that corn, picked a couple hours ago, is being sold in those familiar red trailers in Bluffton, Pandora, Lima, Findlay, Kenton, Wapakoneta, and some other towns that I can't remember.
"Fresh picked" is a grocery term as Jerry sees its. It really means one, two, three or more days old. Not Suter corn. The corn you buy today is picked today.
But that's nothing. The crew - high school and college students - who started picking at 6 a.m., then loaded it on the trucks for delivery. Check out the video of this procedure. It took probably 2 hours to pick the corn. It took less than 10 minutes to load it and ship it off.
I was drenched with sweat just watching. It's 8:30 a.m. and the Suter crew was just getting started for the day. Click for a video.
Prior to lift off, or delivery, Jerry reviews the day's special with all the corn pickers, now corn sales people. He announces that the Kewpee stand in Lima sold more of yesterday's specials than any other stand. He also quizzes his crew if they can tell the difference between an expired coupon and a current one.
Then he tells everyone that the hottest day on record in Toledo was 105 degrees in 1936. This goes over with a mild thud, but it's part of the morning ritual.
I'm convinced that Pandora and Bluffton have a brand and it's those red trailers offering sweet corn. The product is fresh. The product is affordable. The sales clerk is friendly.
The buyer from Lima, Findlay, Kenton, or wherever may never visit Bluffton or Pandora. But, that Suter Produce brand is so strong, so very positive, that it tops the several millions that Nike, McDonald's any every automobile manufacture yearns to see in their own brand.
We picked this morning. You know it's fresh.
