http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-918035.mp3
West Point, IA – Patrons can eat all of the free sweet corn that they want during the West Point Sweet Corn Festival. That is why volunteers are needed, each year, to help shuck sweet corn.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Shuckfest. The event is held the day before the start of the West Point Sweet Corn Festival.
The event got started as a show of appreciation for the volunteers.
About 25 tons of corn (50,000 pounds) was dropped off in the parking lot for Merschman Seeds this year. That's about 10 tons (20,000 pounds) more than anticipated.
More than 400 people turned out to help shuck corn. The process involves tearing off the green, outer husks, removing tassels, and breaking off the ends of the corn cobs.
Volunteers filled hundreds of milk crates with the bright, yellow ears of corn. The corn is then dumped into ice baths for a quick cooling-off period.
The corn is taken from the ice baths to a refrigerated truck before being shipped to the downtown park to be cooked.
The work wrapped up at about 6:30 P.M. Wednesday night.
You can hear more about this year's Shuckfest by clicking the audio link above.