2018
Darien Sept. 7-9 in Darien West Park
FREE SWEET CORN Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
PUBLISHED BY
Sept. 2018
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2018 DARIEN CORNFEST
3 BIG DAYS SEPT. 7, 8 & 9 at Darien West Park Featuring:
Delicious FREE Sweet Corn Saturday & Sunday 11am to 3pm Donated By:
OUTSTANDING LIVE ENTERTAINMENT on the Miller Lite Stage Allens Grove Band Zac Mathews Band Friday, Sept. 7 7:00 - 11:00pm
FRIDAY, SEPT. 7 Co-Ed Softball 6pm Fireworks Display 9pm Hammerschlagn
SATURDAY & SUNDAY SEPT. 8 & 9
Saturday, Sept. 8 7:00 - 11:00pm
Carnival All Weekend
WRISTBAND SPECIAL Friday 6pm-10pm • $20 Saturday Noon-4pm • $20 Saturday 6pm-10pm • $20
32-Team Men’s Softball Tournament Merchandise & Crafts Volleyball Tournament Bingo 10am - 4pm Horseshoe Tournament Mini-Rods Tractor Pull 12:30pm Hammerschlagn DDSA Boosters Breakfast Sat. 7-10am & Sun 8-10am *Liberty Bike Ride 12:15pm Sponsored by: *Huge Parade Downtown Darien 1pm American Legion Post #450, *Raffle Drawing ($1 each or 6/$5) 3pm Darien Crossed Irons Fire Fight*The Big Corn Shell-Out After ers Association, Darien Community Club & Darien Cornfest Raffle Drawing Committee * = Sunday Events Only
For entire event schedule: dariencornfest.us
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‘Butter Me Up’
FILE PHOTO Cornfest 2018
A group of Green Bay Packers fans enjoy the free sweet corn at the 2017 Darien Cornfest. The annual “corny” celebration features free sweet corn, softball tournament, carnival, fireworks, games, live music and more. This year’s Cornfest runs Sept. 7 to 9 at Darien West Park, 357 West Madison St.
The 58th annual Darien Cornfest runs Sept. 7 to 9 Darien’s annual celebration of all things “corny” returns for its 58th run Sept. 7 to 9 at Darien West Park at the intersection of Highway 14 and North Road at 335 W. Madison St. Cornfest has family friendly activities throughout its three-day run, including the softball, horseshoe and volleyball tournaments; live music, parade and carnival. And don’t forget the all-you-can-eat free sweet corn, donated by Birds Eye, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Cornfest is sponsored by American Legion Post 450, the Darien Crossed Irons Fire Fighters Association, Darien Community Club and Darien Cornfest Committee. The DDSA Booster Club is hosting a breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sunday. The Tri-County Pullers will present the Mini-Rods Tractor Pull will be at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8.
Carnival
The carnival is open all three days of
2018 DARIEN CORNFEST The Best Ears of Our Lives A publication of SOUTHERN LAKES NEWSPAPERS 1102 Ann St., Delavan, WI 53115 (262) 728-3411 • WWW.MYWALWORTHCOUNTY.COM Section Editor.............................................................................Tracy Ouellette Creative/Production Director..........................................................Heidi Schulz Special Sections Advertising................................................ Vicki Vanderwerff
For advertising opportunities, call (262) 728-3411 On the cover One of the floats in last year’s Darien Cornfest travels the parade route in downtown Darien. (Dave Dresdow photo)
the event with wristband specials at $20 from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 6 to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Headlining on the Miller Lite Stage this year are the Allen’s Grove Band on Friday and the Zac Mathews Band on Saturday. Both bands take the stage at 7 p.m.
Parade
The 2018 Cornfest parade kicks off with the Liberty Bike Ride at 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 9, followed by the parade line up, which steps off at 1 p.m. sharp. The Liberty Bike Ride is a group of
military veterans on motorcycles giving tribute to our current and lost military men and women with decorated motorcycles. Any veteran who would like to ride your motorcycle (all kinds welcome) in the Liberty Bike Ride can fill out the parade form at the Cornfest website, www. dariencornfest.us. Line-up for units being judged will begin at 11 a.m. Parade participants must be lined up in your spot before noon to be judged. Line-up for units not being judged
See BUTTER ME UP, Page 5
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2018 DARIEN CORNFEST
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2018 DARIEN CORNFEST
• Butter me up
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(Continued from page 3)
Darien Cornfest 2018 Sept. 7 to 9 in Darien West Park Featuring free sweet corn Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All weekend – 32-team Men’s Softball Tournament, volleyball tournament, horseshoe tournament, merchandise, crafts, bingo and midway. Carnival $20 wristband specials – Friday, 6 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m.
Entertainment
Friday, Sept. 7 • 7 p.m. – The Allens Grove Band Saturday, Sept. 8 • 7 p.m. – Zac Mathews Band
will begin at noon. The entire parade route is about threequarters of a mile. There will be two reviewing stands the first will be in front of the Farmers Inn and the other on Madison Street. Parade line-ups are sent out in advance. If there are any questions (including those on parade day), go to the staging area at Darien Legion Hall. There will be ribbons for novelties, horses and tractors. Ribbons and cash prizes will be awarded for floats.
Tournament, volleyball tournament, merchandise, crafts, Hammerschlagn 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Bingo 11:30 a.m. – Horseshoe Tournament 12:30 p.m. – Mini-Rods Tractor Pull 1 p.m. – Allens Grove Band, Miller Lite Stage
SUNDAY, SEPT. 9 8 to 10 a.m., DDSA Booster Club breakfast All day – 32-Team Men’s Softball Tournament, volleyball tournament, merchandise, crafts 11:30 a.m. – Horseshoe tournament
12:15 p.m. – Liberty Bike Ride 1 p.m. – Parade, downtown Darien 3 p.m. – The Big Corn Shell-Out 4 p.m. – Raffle drawing ($1 each or 6 for $5) For more information on Cornfest events, go to www.dariencornfest.com.
How to get to Cornfest Darien Cornfest is at Darien West Park, which is just east of Interstate 43 (Exit 15) on Highway 14. Darien is about 15 minutes north of Beloit, an hour from Milwaukee and only minutes from Lake Geneva and beautiful Fox Lake, Illinois.
TOURNAMENTS, CONTESTS
Every year, Cornfest hosts a 32-team softball tournament. Prizes are awarded for the top placing teams. Games are played Saturday and Sunday. The volleyball tournament of competitive co-ed 6’s is Saturday and Sunday at the Darien West Park volleyball courts. Cost is $100 per team. Prizes will be awarded to top three teams in championship round. There will be a “toilet bowl” round as well. A mandatory captain’s meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. Rules – USA volleyball rules. Pool play, two games of 25. Games played will be determined by the amount of teams and pools. Pre-registration/sponsors: Make checks payable to: Darien Cornfest, Brandon Peck at N3760 County Road C, Darien, WI 53114. For more information, contact Brandon at 262-325-9805 and leave a message. Cornfest also hosts horseshoe and Hammerschlagn games. Hammerschlagen is a German game reportedly dating from 1940 in which several contestants try to hammer a nail into a post. The hammer is passed between players until someone countersinks their nail into the wood. It is usually considered an adult game but children can play when accompanied by an adult. Hammerschlagen is played just outside the corn barn Friday night and throughout the day Saturday and Sunday. Prizes are awarded to the winners and are subject to change.
Schedule of events FRIDAY, SEPT. 7 6 p.m. – Co-ed softball, Hammerschlagn 9 p.m. – Fireworks SATURDAY, SEPT. 8 7 to 10 a.m., DDSA Booster Club breakfast All day – 32-Team Men’s Softball
Festival goers wait in line for the free sweet corn at last year’s Cornfest at Darien West Park. The annual corn celebration returns Sept. 7 to 9.
DAVE DRESDOW Cornfest 2018
Thank you Birds Eye! Page 6
2018 DARIEN CORNFEST
Company focuses on farmfresh products
and entered into a joint venture agreement to manufacture them. Birdseye’s company began leasing refrigerated boxcars to transport frozen foods by rail in 1944. This made national distribution a reality and Birdseye a legend.
Birds Eye foods in Darien is, once again, donating the sweet corn for the annual Cornfest celebration. Free roasted corn on the cob will be served all Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 8 and 9, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Darien Park. According to the Birds Eye website, Clarence Birdseye was a man of vision, curiosity and persistence. He was a naturalist, a businessman and a skillful inventor who used his unique gifts to develop a flash freezing process that not only preserved food safely but also preserved its taste and appearance. Birdseye returned to the Unites States and formed the General Seafood Corporation with some wealthy partners who believed in his process. The partners’ financial support allowed the inventive Birdseye to develop and perfect a machine called a “Quick Freeze Machine” that he unveiled in 1926. Birdseye then focused on marketing. He tested refrigerated grocery display cases
Fresh from the farm Birds Eye has a long history of working with local farmers and some of the company’s family farms go back generations, according to the website. “Some companies have lofty goals. To fight disease. Or feed the world. Or save the planet. At Birds Eye our ambition is humble. We just want to help people eat more vegetables,” the Birds Eye website states. Birds Eye says its vegetables ripen in the field – not on the truck. “We pick our vegetables at the height of nutritional value. Our farmers carefully select only the best, highest-quality vegetables and they are flash frozen within hours to lock in that freshness. Birds Eye veggies are as nutritious when they hit your plate, as the day they were picked,” according to the website. For more information about Birds Eye visit www.birdseye.com.
FILE PHOTO Cornfest 2018
Birds Eye, which has a plant in Darien, donates the sweet corn each year for the annual Cornfest celebration. Free corn will served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 8 and 9.
58th Annual
Family Owned and Operated Since 1974
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2018 DARIEN CORNFEST
Clockwise from right: The DelavanDarien High School band marches in the 2017 Cornfest parade in downtown Darien; Emma Cary gets a balloon animal from J.D. Hug the Clown (below, left); Joseph Sanchez, of Janesville, takes a spin on one of the rides at last year’s carnival; festival goers check out the wares in the marketplace: and Kaylanie Catano, of Beloit, plays a midway game with her dad, Henry. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL S. HOEY AND DAVE DRESDOW Cornfest 2018
Last year at Cornfest
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2018 DARIEN CORNFEST
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Local farmers markets The following is a listing of area farmers markets with locations, dates and times.
Burlington
The Burlington Farmers Market is at Wehmhoff Square on the corner of Washington and Pine streets on Thursdays through October from 3 to 7 p.m. The market offers a large selection of produce and locally sourced items and the opportunity to interact with the producers. There is also live music. For more information, visit www. burlingtonwifarmersmarket.com.
Delavan
The Delavan Fresh Market is open from 3 to 7 p.m. every Thursday, June through September, at Tower Park, E. Walworth Ave., Delavan. The market features fresh, locally grown produce and artisan crafts. For more information, call 262-728-5095.
East Troy
The East Troy Farmers Market is every Friday until Oct. 5 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the East Troy Village Square Park.
Elkhorn STOCK PHOTO Cornfest 2018
Farm-to-table is a popular movement that people are embracing for many reasons. Agricultural states like Wisconsin are in the forefront of the movement.
The various benefits of
farm-to-table
Few things are more satisfying than biting into a fresh tomato right from the garden or seasoning a meal with herbs picked from a windowsill greenhouse. Restaurants recognize the value of such experiences, and more and more are relying on locally sourced products in their kitchens. The farm-to-table movement is not new, but it has gained momentum as consumers become increasingly enamored with the flavor and environmental impact of locally sourced foods. The National Restaurant Association found that farm-to-table food was one of its top 10 trends for 2015. Furthermore, the group says that one in five consumers are willing to pay more for local food, and 41 percent admit that locally sourced ingredients influence their decisions when choosing where to dine. Newcomers to the farm-to-table dining experience may not understand all the fuss surrounding this popular trend. The following are some of the key benefits of farm-to-table.
Peak freshness and ripeness
Local produce ripens on the plant and can be harvested at the last possible minute before it turns up on a plate. This helps ensure that it contains the highest amount of nutrients and flavor, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Food that has to travel further is often picked well before it is ready, ripening on the way to stores or other vendors.
Better for the environment Food that needn’t travel far before reaching diners’ plates saves roughly 500 gallons of diesel
fuel to haul produce a distance of 1,500 miles. This conserves fossil fuels and prevents harmful emissions from entering the atmosphere.
Supports neighboring farms Supporting farm-to-table restaurants and other eateries keeps business local in two different ways. It not only benefits local restaurants, but it also directly supports neighboring farms, fisheries and other suppliers.
Accessibility to seasonal choices
Farm-to-table eating provides a wide variety of in-season foods. This can translate into tastier foods because they are grown and harvested during their optimal growing season.
Reduces factory farming
According to O.info, the informational resource powered by Overstock.com, farm-to-table and local farming can reduce reliance on large, profit-driven corporations that may focus on maximum production over animal health and welfare. Local farms may be more inclined to treat their animals well and institute sustainable practices.
Learn about the community
A person might live in an area and never know that a local vineyard is in the vicinity or that a producer of straight-from-the-hive honey is nearby. Exploring farm-to-table resources can open people’s eyes to local businesses doing great work in and around their communities. (METRO CREATIVE)
The Elkhorn Farmers Market is at Veterans Park, 100 Walworth St., is open from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays until October.
Whitewater
The Whitewater Farmers Market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon through November in the Winchester True Value Parking Lot, 1415 W. Main St. The market includes a variety of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables, baked goods, honey and preserves, flowers, shrubs, birdhouses and jewelry. The Whitewater City Market is every Tuesday through October from 4 to 7 p.m. at Cravath Lakefront Park.
Lake Geneva
The Lake Geneva Farmers Market is 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Thursday through October at Horticultural Hall, 330 Broad St.
Union Grove
The Union Grove Farmers Market is open from 3 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday through Oct. 23., at Village Square Park at Highway 45 at Main St. and 10th Avenue.
Kenosha
The Kenosha HarborMarket is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, until Oct. 13. European-style mixed market with more than 150 vendors. Fresh organic vegetables, meats, cheeses, eggs and flowers, artisan bakery goods and handcrafted soaps, candles and all media of art and craft. Live entertainment in three locations, chef demonstrations, educational booths and more.
Mukwonago
The Mukwonago Farmers Market is at Field Park at the corner of Highway 83 and NN every Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m. starting May 16, and it runs through Oct. 10.
Sharon
The Sharon Farmers Market is the first and third Friday of each month until Oct. 5, from 4 to 7 p.m.
2018 DARIEN CORNFEST
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STOCK PHOTO Cornfest 2018
While still a ways off, driverless tractors are on their way to farms in the state and across the country. Technology is changing the face of farming on a daily basis.
New technology will define the future of farming When you think of automated vehicles, you probably think of driverless cars. While that particular movement is certainly in the news, it’s not the only place where driverless technology is gaining momentum. Did you know that driverless technology innovations are occurring every day in agriculture as well? While most of us won’t see this technology since it’s confined to the farm, driverless tractors are poised to change the way our food is grown.
The race to autonomy
Today’s driverless tractors still need an operator to keep the tractor on task. But for 20 years, farm equipment manufacturers have been working on building a precision platform with GPS navigation to provide tractors with pure self-driving automation. The ultimate goal is to offer farmers driverless equipment that is smart – or autonomous – so it can perform tasks
completely independent of human intervention. The farm equipment industry has spent a couple of decades moving toward developing autonomous equipment, and the race to commercially market that equipment has recently moved into high gear. In 2016, both New Holland and Case IH introduced autonomous tractor prototypes, which the companies are still testing in the field. At the same time, John Deere signaled its commitment to autonomous machinery when it acquired Blue River Technology - a company that specializes in computer vision and machine learning, key technologies for developing smart farm equipment.
The digital component
In addition to performing the desired tasks, smart farm equipment also has the ability to capture vital data about the operation and how the land is being used.
This data will be invaluable to farmers, according to Dan Burdett, global head of digital agriculture at Syngenta. “The driverless tractor and automated farm equipment will be able to record any field event, which is important for developing insights, such as calculating return on investment,” he says. “Capturing timely and accurate data to document field applications for reports and stewardship requirements will also be possible.” Because various sensors, tools and artificial intelligence will automate data collection, Burdett says the data will “enable a whole new level of decisionmaking capabilities. Growers will benefit from all of it,” he says, adding that the adoption of digital technologies in the ag industry is inevitable and moving fast. “It’s escalating, and that’s driven partly by farm economics,” says Burdett. “It’s very important for farmers to know their numbers. Digital tools and information
technology can help farmers be better business people.”
The future of autonomy
For many years, the components needed to bring autonomous vehicles to market were cost-prohibitive for ag manufacturers. But that is changing. Uber, Google and Tesla have made big investments in technology for their self-driving cars, which has substantially lowered the cost of some components that are also used in automated farm equipment. As more industries use these components, prices will drop further, placing autonomous technology within reach of farmers. The field of automated farm equipment is fertile, and it’s growing rapidly. To learn more about automated farm equipment and other agricultural trends, go to www.syngentathrive.com.
(BPT)
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2018 DARIEN CORNFEST
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