FRANK AND TERESIA KELLER
GETTING INTO VEGETABLES
I grew up on the farm with my brother, learning about grain farming from our father and uncle. I developed an appreciation and understanding for agriculture then, but dove even deeper after serving in the Peace Corps in Lesotho, Africa, for two years. I was able to work with area farmers growing vegetables, which led me to farm my own today. We sell our produce at our three locations in Naperville, Oswego and Plainfield.
GROWING GREAT SWEET CORN
The Keller family has been growing fresh sweet corn in the region since before Abraham Lincoln was president, so we’ve gotten pretty darn good at it. We start by planting it in our fertile Oswego farm soil when we determine the conditions are just right in April. If we get our way, Mother Nature sends spring rain and summer heat to get our corn growing.
We also use high-tech scarecrows and sound systems to keep the birds away from our crops – we don’t want anything to compromise the quality of your sweet corn. When it’s time to harvest, we taste the corn to decide which varieties are ready. We choose only the ears that are at their peak sweetness, usually after about three months of growth.
OUR SECRET TO SUCCESS
As a farmer it’s important to be open to change and to be flexible in dealing with day-to-day issues, especially the weather. Every season is different. The challenges never seem to end, but it’s a very fulfilling life!
Our family farm began in 1852 and we have no plans of stopping. We’re in this for the long run; the sixth-generation of Keller farmers is already in training! You can learn more about our farm at KellersFarmStand.com.
