Ear Of Corn Boosts Seed Business
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Who knew plastic milk jugs could be made up to look like corn kernels? The idea came to Pioneer seed dealer Bob Erickson when he was trying to figure out how to make a giant ear of corn to promote his business. About 1,000 milk jugs and lots of trial and error later he had a 16-ft. long ear of corn sitting in his Westby, Wis., yard.
The inside frame is four sections of concrete reinforcing mesh. The top of the jugs fit perfectly inside the squares. Erickson cut holes in the sides of the jugs and wove fencing wire through them and the mesh. To maintain the ear’s round shape, he cut round pieces of 1-in. foam board to place on the ends and between each of his four wire mesh sections. He bent the mesh to shape the ends and spray painted the kernels yellow.
“There’s not much weight, but it’s strong,” Erickson says.
And it’s popular at parades, where Erickson throws out bags of “Norwegian Sweet Corn” (candy corn) with his business cards.
Since he built his ear of corn 10 years ago, he’s made two more. One for a town that holds a corn festival and one for Richard Kastning, also a Pioneer seed dealer.
“It fits my work, and we have different signs that we mount. Others have borrowed it as well,” Kastning says.
A blacksmith painted the corn and built a saddle out of a calf hutch wire frame to hold it on a running gear trailer. When not in a parade, Kastning parks it in his yard with old John Deere equipment.
Erickson leaves his ear of corn out year round. He maintains it by blowing off loose paint and repainting it annually; so far the jugs are holding up well.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bob Erickson, 200 High Echo Lane, Westby, Wis. 54667 (ph 608 632-0834; bobs.crop.center.llc@plantpioneer.com) or Richard Kastning, N9657 Highway 151, Malone, Wis. 53049 (ph 920 795-4745; kastningr@yahoo.com).
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Ear Of Corn Boosts Seed Business CROPS Miscellaneous Who knew plastic milk jugs could be made up to look like corn kernels? The idea came to Pioneer seed dealer Bob Erickson when he was trying to figure out how to make a giant ear of corn to promote his business About 1 000 milk jugs and lots of trial and error later he had a 16-ft long ear of corn sitting in his Westby Wis yard
The inside frame is four sections of concrete reinforcing mesh The top of the jugs fit perfectly inside the squares Erickson cut holes in the sides of the jugs and wove fencing wire through them and the mesh To maintain the ear’s round shape he cut round pieces of 1-in foam board to place on the ends and between each of his four wire mesh sections He bent the mesh to shape the ends and spray painted the kernels yellow
“There’s not much weight but it’s strong ” Erickson says
And it’s popular at parades where Erickson throws out bags of “Norwegian Sweet Corn” candy corn with his business cards
Since he built his ear of corn 10 years ago he’s made two more One for a town that holds a corn festival and one for Richard Kastning also a Pioneer seed dealer
“It fits my work and we have different signs that we mount Others have borrowed it as well ” Kastning says
A blacksmith painted the corn and built a saddle out of a calf hutch wire frame to hold it on a running gear trailer When not in a parade Kastning parks it in his yard with old John Deere equipment
Erickson leaves his ear of corn out year round He maintains it by blowing off loose paint and repainting it annually; so far the jugs are holding up well
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bob Erickson 200 High Echo Lane Westby Wis 54667 ph 608 632-0834; bobs crop center llc@plantpioneer com or Richard Kastning N9657 Highway 151 Malone Wis 53049 ph 920 795-4745; kastningr@yahoo com
