Great Tasting Schonberg's Corn has become an Alexandria Tradition
The ’49 GMC and the ’48 REO Speedwagon Trucks have become an Alexandria Summer Tradition. A tradition of Great Tasting Fresh Corn, that is.
Schonberg's Customers aggregate as soon as the trucks pull in
I met with Dave Schonberg, owner of Schonberg Produce. I was thrilled to have learned about the TLC and approach to providing their incredible corn and produce. Dave, quite humbly, shared some of their meticulous details that go into providing great tasting corn.
“We start with good seed, to grow bi-color corn. Then we plant twice a week from May 1st to July 1st, this ensures we have fresh ripe corn daily for our customers so it is perfect for eating.” Then they employ some old school farming techniques. Dave believes in growing produce naturally with No Chemicals. That means they do not use chemical fertilizers, herbicides or fungicides.
So how do they weed? “We pick, hoe, scorch & torch.” The scorch and torch intrigued me to inquire further. “We created an implement device with an 8-row propane flame cultivator.” They burn the weeds! The mention of that conjures images which would be amazing to see.
The fertilizing is just plane manure. Many farmers rely on manure for fertilizing as it is a proven method for growth and as organic as it may well get.
“We irrigate our fields to properly water the corn, that way we can ensure quality growth as well, Dave added.”
If all that isn’t enough, the corn you see on the trucks is picked fresh daily and locally near Holmes City. “When our customers get here at 10:00 AM, some of that corn is just an hour and a half freshly picked.” Dave shared that corn loses its flavor by the hour after it is picked. His advice is, “Take it home refrigerate it for later, or put it straight in the kettle and eat it.” The corn is never carried over to the next day.
Just when it seems that all the complete focus is just on TLC to raise great tasting corn and produce, you hear Dave talk about his relationships with his customers and his workers. He gives thanks to his kids and his grandkids and community friends who have helped him throughout the years. Dave marvels at how they are now serving a third generation of customers. Dave has grown close with his customers while growing his business. “I would like to express a big thanks to the Community for your support of our business,” Dave sincerely expressed.
Then, just as we were talking about his affinity for his customers, Dave asked me to photograph the three young men in the pick-up truck next to us. They had just purchased bags of corn, and before they left the parking lot, they couldn’t resist eating the corn freshly shucked. “That gives me great joy to see them chow down on that corn right here,” Dave added.
Avid Schonberg Corn Eaters!
While Dave has been refining his process for raising great tasting corn for 37 years, he shared “I am 60 years old and kicking and not even thinking about retiring.”
This reporter has lived all over the Midwest and never tasted corn as good as Schonberg’s. So it did not surprise me to have learned that Schonberg’s corn has been shipped to all 50 states and Europe! They also have some of the mildest onions, and the sweetest muskmelons that I have ever tasted. In addition they grow and sell tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, green peppers, watermelons and pumpkins.
So when you see those classic trucks and the yellow Schonberg signs at Cenex on Broadway, or at Bistro to Go on North Nokomis, you can be sure you are getting the best tasting fresh ripe produce from a local grower and a charmingly humble business man, Dave Schonberg.
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