Tuxedo Corn Company founder and farmer John Harold walks through rows of hisnOlathe Sweet brand sweet corn just after dawn Wednesday morning, July 9, 2025 in a field west of Delta, Colorado, during the first day of harvest. (Photo by William Woody/special to The Denver Post)
In a cornfield just before dawn, the morning chill surrenders to the light. The stillness of the night gives way to chirping birds mixed with the sound of flowing irrigation water. Insects are buzzing nearby as two dozen workers with the Tuxedo Corn Company are about to begin their day harvesting corn.
Tuxedo Corn Company founder and farmer John Harold has chosen a field about three miles west of Delta, Colo., on a bluff overlooking the Gunnison River, as the site for the first day of the 2025 Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn harvest.
As Harold walks through rows of the petite corn plants he notices some ears have already been eaten by deer. He turns to find a skunk crawling through the same field looking for food. He then uses his fingers to check the length of the ear before tearing open the top of the ear to find the golden kernels his corn is famous for.
“It has to be right,” Harold said of his corn. “We don’t want to pick anything damaged or isn’t good.”
A harvest crew with the Tuxedo Corn Company of Olathe work to rip delicate sweet corn ears from their stalks just after dawn on Wednesday morning, west of Delta, Colorado. (Photo by William Woody/special to The Denver Post)A harvest crew with the Tuxedo Corn Company of Olathe work to rip delicate sweet corn ears from their stalks just after dawn on Wednesday morning, west of Delta, Colorado. (Photo by William Woody/special to The Denver Post)LEFT — Tuxedo Corn Company founder and farmer John Harold checks ears of his Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn just after dawn on Wednesday morning, July 9, 2025, in a field west of Delta, Colorado, during the first day of harvest. RIGHT — Ears of Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn are checked for quality. (Photos by William Woody/special to The Denver Post)The Tuxedo Corn Company of Olathe harvest crew rip delicate sweet corn ears from their stalks. (Photo by William Woody/special to The Denver Post)
As workers climb aboard a large mechanical harvesting machine powered by a Ford F-350 truck engine, other workers begin to rip the top ears of sweet corn from the delicate corn stalks and gently toss them into metal baskets. The ears are then packaged 48 at a time, into large plastic crates which will then be iced before shipment.
Millions of ears from the Olathe and Delta countryside will now begin their journey to supermarkets across the United States. In normal years, Tuxedo Corn, the largest sweet corn producer in Colorado and one of the largest in the United States, would ship around 600,000 boxes of corn to Kroger supermarkets nationwide.
Sweet corn plants sit ready for harvest. (Photo by William Woody/special to The Denver Post)A harvest crew with the Tuxedo Corn Company of Olathe harvest sweet corn ears by hand. (Photo by William Woody/special to The Denver Post)
With 48 ears per box, this calculates to around 28.8 million ears of corn. Harold reports that this year, 2025, the yield will be lower than in years past with the company estimating to ship about 400,000 boxes, or 19.2 million ears of hand-picked corn, which will arrive in stores from Alaska to Virginia in the coming days and weeks.
But on this day, the first truck always heads to Denver.
The harvest crew collects and boxes sweet corn ears just after dawn on Wednesday morning. (Photo by William Woody/special to The Denver Post)Tuxedo Corn Company founder and farmer John Harold checks ears of his Olathe Sweet brand sweet corn while a harvest crew work to package boxes of corn ears. (Photo by William Woody/special to The Denver Post)
Related Posts:
Bradley Cooper Shares Sweet Story Behind Friendship With Anne Hathaway Entertainment Bradley Cooper and Anne Hathaway may be Hollywood’s top actors, but their friendship started in the most relatable way â through their kids. The two A-listers have more in common than just acting talent. Theyâve built a lasting friendship grounded in parenting and everyday connection. How Bradley Cooper & Anne…
Photos show the aftermath of the flooding in central Texas News This photo gallery, curated by AP photo editors, features photos of the aftermath of flooding in central Texas. A raging Guadalupe River leaves fallen trees and debris in its wake, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Rescue workers are seen a boat as they search for…
‘Schitt’s Creek’ Stars Reunite at Fashion Week, Sit Beside One Iconic Guest [PHOTOS] Entertainment Forget the Rosebud Motel â David and Stevie just checked into fashion royalty! On Sunday, “Schittâs Creek” stars Dan Levy and Emily Hampshire reunited at the Celine 2025 show in Paris. Though they werenât seated side by side at the runway event, Hampshire made waves on Instagram with the reveal…
Fans Rally Around Justin Bieber As He Shares ‘Detox’ PHOTOS Entertainment Justin Bieber received a lot of love from fans and friends after posting a series of photos which he simply captioned, “Detoxxxxxxxxxxx.” The Instagram post, which the “Peaches” singer made on July 6, 2025, shows him sweating profusely from his forehead as he covers the top of his head with…
Proud Mom Naomi Watts Cheers Daughter’s Paris Runway Moment [PHOTOS] Entertainment Naomi Watts proudly took the front row as her daughter, Kai Schreiber, 16, stole the spotlight during Celineâs Spring/Summer 2026 runway show at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week on Saturday, July 6. While all eyes were on Kai during her big moment, Watts, 56, was seen in the audience smiling…
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
