The problem

The ANR Agent along with support from all program areas has entered into a partnership with the local school food service program to provide fresh sweet corn.  The sweet corn is grown on the school campus and is processed by volunteers and students.  Silking the sweet corn is the greatest labor requirement.  

The educational program response

We found out from an ANR Agent in another county in Kentucky that her family had a sweet corn silking machine that they used to add value to their sweet corn at marketing time.  We checked it out and purchased a machine.

Program impact or participant response.

We used the sweet corn silking machine.  It does a better job silking than hand silking.  It is much faster and reduces labor and processing time by more than 50% This preserves quality and we have happier student and community volunteers..