Just a short note on corn. For several years now, a neighbouring (non-organic) farmer has been harvesting his sweet corn earlier and earlier every summer. This year, he beat all previous records (mid-July!) and is doggoned proud of it. No one’s to blame except the relentless progress of bio-technology yielding doctored plants and super precocious varietals, somewhat lacking in taste, but super precocious nonetheless. The end result is that we’ve all forgotten that there was no sweet corn at the farmers’ market before mid-August, some fifteen years ago. But wonders never cease, and corn has benefited more than most from the scientific advances in seed technology. Producers, even organic farmers such as ourselves, now have almost limitless choice, with varietals ranging from very early to late season corn; yellow, white and bi-colour cobs; sweet (sh2), synergetic or sugar enhanced hybrids (se); and more. All in the name of gustatory pleasure.