Last year when the kids wanted to open a popcorn stand at the end of the drive, I gently suggested we look to our virtual community for buyers. Have you ever manned a lemonade stand down a country road? Mine were never successful, and I didn’t want the kids to be disappointed. So, virtual community it was and our inventory sold out in a day.
That success only fueled their entrepreneurial spirit and this year the popcorn “patch” doubled in size, but was fraught with challenges.
We planted the popcorn —
by hand even though we own a planter that could have put the kernels in the ground in minutes, but, “This is our popcorn Mom. We’re going to plant it!”
— in the cool spring, in dry, dry ground by twilight barely missing a spring storm that flooded the patch. A few weeks later, we replanted . . . by hand . . . again.
The patch came up well. With decent rains and weather, it flourished, until a late summer wind storm knocked out sections of the patch. The kids learned that popcorn is not like field corn. It won’t stand back up after being flattened by wind.
To save the crop, they picked the ears from the downed corn and created drying racks on which they spiked 400 ears of corn three times over.
As the combines rolled into the field this fall, the kids rolled into the popcorn patch, spending an hour each day picking, shucking, shelling, cleaning and packaging popcorn. Thankfully a family friend found an old hand-crank sheller in her shed and donated to the cause. The kids shelled the whole patch in a matter of days.
Picking and shucking equals rough hands even for a farm girl. While her brother ran the grain cart with My Farmer in the fields, she spent time after school picking and shucking wagon loads of corn.
Wondering what to do with so much popcorn, we discovered shelves of mason jars at Great Grandma June’s. Perfect packaging with a special family touch. We know she is smiling from above knowing her contribution to the project.
The farm princess is delighted with her rainbow popcorn crop.
Forgive this mom a moment of boasting. I am so proud of my farm boy and farm princess, farm kids who are growing into true-blue farmers with their popcorn patch. They’re doing the hard work, paying the “bills” and honing their skills at cultivating, growing and harvesting a crop.
Now they are ready to sell the fruits of their labor. Pratt Popcorn can be ordered at http://tinyurl.com/prattpopcorn14. Available while supplies last. Remember, this is only year two of the popcorn stand, so have patience, give guidance if you have any to offer and if you like popcorn, give ours a try!
With the jars, you should suggest that they be returned for reuse. Possibly offer an $0.85 discount (cost of new jar) on next years order with return or exchange or empty jar.
We did talk about that and I completely forgot to throw that out there this year. Yes! Good idea!
Our dead end road homemade bracelet stand had zero customers. What an awesome idea to make sure your kids build their entrepreneur skills using the technology that’s available now!
What a great idea!! The kids help with many things and each have cows, but a project all their own that they can do all by themselves, we don’t have. This has me thinking!!
Laurie – Country Link
This idea was all kids and they have done the bulk of the work, but us parents are still up to our elbows in popcorn. Still it is fun to see them making the calls to arrange delivery times and making change, counting inventory, etc. Lots of lessons learned, and hopefully ones that will stick.
I really like the selling aspect of it. I am sure that you are more than up to your elbows in popcorn! 🙂
How big of a patch was it?
Not big in acre size. My Farmer guesstimates not quite a tenth of an acre. It was too long rows we planted right alongside our sweet corn and commercial corn.
Way to go, kiddos! You’ve got a pretty awesome mama to encourage, coax and help you. Proud of you both for taking on this venture!
So nice! Thank you.