Ear-to-ear smiles at Corn Feed

The aroma of freshly steamed sweet corn will again fill Round Lake Park this Saturday, Aug. 5, as the Eden Prairie Lions Club hosts its annual Corn Feed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A typical Corn Feed means steaming 4,000 ears of sweet corn for a hungry crowd of about 750 people.

“Schooner Days is our biggest fundraiser, but I would say the Corn Feed is the most family, laid-back oriented event,” said Gregg Fletcher, the event’s chair. “People just come and sit and get their food and visit and stay as long as they like.”

For those attending, all-you-can-eat corn and a meal (sloppy joe or hotdog and chips) will cost $12 for adults and $8 for children under 12. All-you-can-eat corn is $10 and $7 for children under 12. A single sloppy joe or hot dog is $3 each, and a bag of a dozen uncooked, unshucked ears of corn is $12 each. Beverages will be sold separately.

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The corn, grown by Untiedt’s Vegetable Farms in Waverly, Minnesota, will be steamed, shucked, and dipped in freshly melted butter after being picked on Saturday morning and then trucked to Eden Prairie.

“You can’t get fresher than that,” said co-chair Tom Anderson.

With nearly 20 years of experience planning the Corn Feed, Fletcher admits he knows much about corn.

“Yes I do,” he laughs. “I know how to cook it and prepare it.”

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But he insists that Anderson is even more knowledgeable about corn. Anderson has been in charge of getting the corn for the event for many years. He grew up on a farm in Eden Prairie. That farm is now the site of St. Andrew Lutheran Church.

“It’s a fun time,” Anderson said. “I like to husk. Me being a farm kid, I’m in charge of unloading the truck, ordering the corn, and all of the before stuff.”

Fletcher’s favorite part of the event is talking to people.

“They always talk to us by the cookers,” he said. “They will mention how they come every year, and sometimes they have friends and relatives over for that day just to come over and enjoy the sweet corn.”

When asked if someone holds a record for eating the most corn at the event, Fletcher chuckled and said, ‘We don’t have anything official, but I’ve heard some people manage to eat around 10-12 ears. That’s probably the most anyone could handle.”

The Eden Prairie Lions Club, known for its philanthropic endeavors, donates all proceeds from its fundraisers, including the Corn Feed, for community projects such as PROP Food Shelf, The PROP Shop Eden Prairie, Minnesota Lions Gift of Sight Eye Bank, Minnesota Lions Hearing Foundation, Can Do Canines, True Friends Camp Eden Wood, and scholarships for local high school seniors.

Fletcher noted that Republic Services provides complimentary dumpsters and wheeled garbage cans to the Lions Club, and Ferrellgas donates all the propane tanks for the cookers.