Pumpkin patch, sweet corn mark decades of community outreach at Dordt’s ASC

For passersby on Highway 75 north of Sioux Center, the big metal sign reading “Pumpkin Patch” that went up this week is a seasonal marker: the patch is open, and fall is coming. 

For Agriculture Stewardship Center Steward Mike Schouten, it’s the latest chapter in a decades-long effort to share the harvest with the Sioux County community—one that begins every July, with sweet corn. 

Since 1989, Schouten has planted half-acre patches of sweet corn, but he hasn't done it alone. Dr. John Olthoff, professor emeritus of agriculture, has joined Schouten in the sweet corn rows since the mid-1990s. 

On those July mornings, before the sun fully clears the horizon, Olthoff pulls a faded red Nebraska Cornhuskers sweatshirt out of the trunk of his car and puts it on. He’s worn it for every harvest since 1994, and it’s the unofficial uniform of a partnership that has yielded tens of thousands of ears of corn.

Side by side, Schouten and Olthoff walk into the half-acre patches. Often the corn is soaked in morning dew; sometimes they work in the pouring rain. Regardless of the weather conditions, the two have worked side by side to harvest sweet corn for decades. 

Each man takes the row to their right, dropping ears into big plastic buckets that student employees then lug to a waiting truck.

“We’re usually soaked to the bone by the time we’re done,” says Schouten, who sometimes tapes up his fingertips, so they don’t get cut by the sharp corn stalk leaves. “But there’s something beautiful about sharing the bounty of God’s creation with the community.”

The sweet corn harvest is often a grueling 25-day sprint; Schouten plants three separate patches of sweet corn at different times so that there are plenty of ears to go around for about a month. On peak days, the duo picks nearly 200 dozen ears. And looking at the overall harvest, they pick about 30,000 ears of corn total each season.

The tubs are distributed to a roadside stand on Highway 75, to the Dordt facilities garage, and to the small town of Hull. This year’s charge for a baker’s dozen was $6. When the facilities team emails Dordt employees to let them know that sweet corn is available, the email recipients know they need to head to the facilities garage within the next 30 minutes or risk going home without any corn.

“It’s popular; people rave about our sweet corn,” says Schouten. “We plant high-quality seed, and what results is sweet corn with full kernels and a delicious sweetness about it.”

While the ASC is a hub for academic research and plots, the sweet corn, watermelon, cantaloupe (“muskmelons”), squash, and pumpkins that Schouten grows are an expression of community.

“This goes outside of raising corn and soybeans for research,” says Olthoff. “This is about community outreach. It’s a way we can bless others by sharing the gifts of the garden.”

The corn that isn’t sold at the stand or on campus is donated to local food programs or church organizations. Dordt Dining Services also purchases watermelon and cantaloupe to serve at the Atrium.

As the sweet corn season draws to a close, Schouten’s focus shifts to the agritourism tradition of cultivating the pumpkin patch. Located near the ASC, the patch features a variety of gourds, including the highly popular white pumpkins, pink pumpkins, and blue pumpkins. Like the sweet corn, the pumpkins are managed on an honor system, which is a testament to the trust Schouten and Dordt University place in the neighbors and families who visit the patch.

“Fall is a beautiful time of year to get the community out to the farm,” says Schouten. “We host kindergarten groups, families who pick their own pumpkins, and others. We want to provide a good quality product and a service to our neighbors.”

Looking back at their 30+ years of picking sweet corn side by side, both Schouten and Olthoff are grateful for the bond they’ve formed.

“I couldn’t do it without John,” says Schouten. “He’s been a vital part of this operation for years.”

“I’m blessed by being able to pick alongside Mike,” adds Olthoff. “We get to share gifts of the garden together. And those early mornings are beautiful, to see the sunrise and work in the cool, crisp air.”

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, alumni, and the broader community to work effectively toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life.

Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt offers undergraduate and graduate programs that help students live their faith in every area of life. Through rigorous learning, meaningful relationships, and whole-person formation, students gain the practical wisdom to serve God and neighbor through their work and in their communities. Dordt has been named among the nation's leading Christian universities by U.S. News & World Report, Niche, and other national publications.