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by Expression Staff
For many people, the arrival of fresh sweet corn is one of the surest signs that summer has arrived in the Bally area.
Just outside Bally, the Longacre family grows, harvests and sells its corn directly to local customers. Once the crop is ready, the corn is piled high on a wagon adjacent to the farm, creating a familiar roadside sight and an easy opportunity for passersby to take home some of summer's freshest produce.
Getting that corn from seed to roadside is the result of months of work. Throughout the growing season, the crop must contend with weather, weeds, insects and other challenges. Timing is especially important with sweet corn, since the window for peak freshness and sweetness is relatively short.
When harvest time arrives, the work shifts to picking and gathering the ears and getting them to customers while they are still fresh. For the Longacre family, the roadside wagon provides a simple connection between the farm and the community.
That connection is part of a long agricultural tradition for the Longacre family. The family name has been associated with farming in the Bally area for generations, including John S. Longacre, who farmed and operated a milk-delivery route in the early 20th century before the family dairy business developed into what is now Longacre's Modern Dairy.
Today, the roadside corn offers another expression of that heritage — locally grown food sold close to where it was harvested. For residents passing the farm, the sight of a wagon piled high with fresh corn is a welcome reminder that summer's bounty has arrived.
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