Photo: Sasha (11) and Sienna (7) Kelenske enjoy August sweet corn.

By Rebecca G Carlson

Sun contributor

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, there are three key indicators that sweet corn is ready for harvest: “kernels fill the ear,” “silks turn brown,” and “ears begin to angle.” Driving around the peninsula these past couple of weeks, the farm stands are stacked with freshly picked sweet corn on the cob. Some varieties are golden yellow and others are a bi-colored “peaches and cream,” both are sweet, tender, and delicious. “Requiring a delicate balance of timing and technique,” the sweet corn season lasts only a nanosecond, so it is one to savor and appreciate.

As the summer crop season comes to a close, I think of these crops in the sense of meal courses. The bookends of the summer crop season are strawberries, the appetizer course of summer, and sweet corn, the dessert course. The magic of sweet corn is in the first bite. Aside from burning mouths due to impatience waiting for the sweet corn harvest, the initial bite releases a snap of the corn kernels and the sweetness of the juice. Heavenly.

Fourth generation Leelanau Peninsula farmer and sweet corn magician Curtis Kelenske and I walked through the 10-acre sweet corn field located off French Road as he offered his favorite recipe for sweet corn:  boiled+salt+butter. Simple is better when eating freshly harvested sweet corn.

Native to the Americas, corn has served as a staple crop for millennia. “[T]he first corn plant, teosinte, was first selectively bred by indigenous farmers in southeastern Mexico between 8,000-10,000 years ago” (nebraskacorn.gov). Although teosinte would not resemble the tightly packed golden kernels on the cob that exists in the modern world, it was a crop totally dependent on human invention and nurturing. The sweet corn varietals consumed in modern day are simply the end result of thousands of years of ingenuity and careful cultivation which goes from seed to fully grown plant in about 100 days.

The three main modern varieties of corn are Dent, Sweet, and White. Dent corn, also known as feed corn, is used for livestock as well as corn by-products like ethanol. Sweet corn is the delicious corn on the cob which most know and anticipate each August. White corn is used for making food products such as potato chips, tortilla chips, tortillas, and of course, popcorn (nebraskacorn.gov).

Eating fresh corn on the cob can result in some unexpected health benefits. According to Cleveland Clinic Dietician, Elyse Homan, eating whole corn kernels either on the cob or shaved off can have positive effects on heart, eye, and gut health. “Corn is high in insoluble fiber, [and] acts as a prebiotic” benefiting gut health. Also, “a medium ear of…corn has almost 900 micrograms of [an] antioxidant called lutein…which promotes healthy vision and eyes.” Furthermore, “[c]orn contains phytosterols, a natural plant substance that minimizes…cholesterol” absorption. The health benefits do not end there as eating corn on the cob provides necessary nutrients and vitamins such as calcium, magnesium, folate, potassium, as well as vitamins A and C (health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-corn). Myths that corn is an unhealthy food staple, as it is high in fat and sugar, are incorrect. Sweet corn is a nutritious, local food staple provided by diligent growers like Curtis Kelenske.

The Kelenske Family first arrives to the Leelanau Peninsula via North Manitou Island, as did many of the early families. Curtis’ great-grandfather, Constantine Kelenske, settled in the Cedar area farming his 160-acre property. Constantine, a general farmer, was also known for his carpentry work as he built caskets for Holy Rosary Church. His son, John Kelenske, continued his father’s work running a small saw mill on the farm as well as managing seven dairy cows. Curtis’ parents, Jerry Kelenske and Anna May, expanded the dairy farming adding 65 cows and purchasing more land to farm. This farming family is now in their fourth generation of farm ownership under Curtis and siblings, Corey, Sarah, Justin and Brandon, with plans to continue to adapt and expand their revenue streams and move into a fifth generation of ownership.

Farmer, sweet corn wizard, cow herder, educator, son, brother, husband, father, marketing assistant, tour guide, and guest house owner and operator are just a few of Curtis’ job titles. This local farmer has multitasking down to a science. Growing up on the Kelenske dairy farm of his parents Jerry and Anna May, Curtis explained, “Dad is head farmer, and it’s an artform.” It is an artform in that the farmer understands and performs: crop management, livestock care, farm machinery maintenance, business and land management, sanitation and safety, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning to name a few tasks. Curtis cultivated this knowledge from his dad in developing and expanding into three additional revenue streams: Curt’s Sweet Corn, Sugarview Farm, and Little Bear Farm.

Curt’s Sweet Corn farm stand, located at 3590 French Road, Cedar, Michigan, began in 2006. Eighteen years later, Curt’s Corn can be found at several locations throughout the peninsula, Oryana, and the Saturday farmer’s market in Traverse City. Curtis is not participating in any CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) or Co-ops at this time as he is busy with his current retail outlets.

Curtis chose to farm corn as a crop because, as a fifth-grade elementary school teacher in Leland, growing corn fits within the summer window and is “finished before the school year begins.” In his roles as both educator and farmer in this local community, Curtis emphasized the importance he places on honoring and supporting the local community through farming which “feeds the community.” This philosophy segues into the other two family owned Kelenske businesses:  Sugarview Farm and Little Bear Farm.

Sugarview Farm is the name of the 100% grass-fed beef business co-owned with brother Justin. They currently manage around 100 head of heritage breed cows, Red Devonshire and Belted Galloway. Little Bear Farm is the name of the two farm-stay homes and agritourism business managed by Curtis and his wife Melissa (Huron) Kelenske for the past 10 years. The two guest houses are renovated farm buildings that are original to the Kelenske Family Farmstead. Curtis and his wife offer farm experience tours to their guests. As an educator, enlightening the guests blends beautifully with sharing the world of farming with those who may have little knowledge of it. Curtis offered, “If we are to survive, [these] tours support us” outside of traditional farming. Furthermore, Curtis explained the tours “create a connection to agriculture and farming” for the visitors. Both businesses have websites: sugarviewfarm.com and littlebearfarm.com where readers can find more information.

Adaptability and innovation are the tenets of success for the Kelenske Family Farming businesses. For Curtis, survival in the demanding world of farming means “mak[ing] sure the farms in Leelanau County are run by families” versus corporations. Generations of farmers have lived and learned their profession. This collective knowledge is shared and passed down to the future generations. Curtis explained his family’s goal is to remain active “in the community as well as service the community.” However, this is the daily challenge as farm maintenance, equipment, and labor costs have skyrocketed. The other main hurdle is that farmers’ profits are diminished by middle men. Thus, the farmer attempts to recoup profits by growing more crops which results in more back breaking work. According to Curtis, this is the vicious cycle the farmers endure. Although, through hard work, dedication, and nurturing, the Kelenske Family has created thriving businesses and a formula for surviving the challenging world of farming.

So, as everyone bites into the mouthwatering cob of sweet corn, let’s offer thanks to thousands of years of devotion and cultivation of the crop. Corn fact: the tuft of hair at the end of a corn cob is attached to each and every kernel of corn within the cob. Before meeting with Curtis Kelenske who shared this fun fact, I never gave a second thought to why there is hair at the end of the cob aside from removing it and the husks when preparing to make corn on the cob.

Whether grilling, boiling, steaming, or eating raw (yes, this surprised me too), savor the local, sweet corn for the few weeks it is available.