Kaysville corn lady a community institution
Carolyn Anderson says goodbye to customers at her stand in front of her home in Kaysville. Andersen is 78 years old and this is her 50th year selling freshly farmed goods. "We start selling at 11am and we keep going until it all sells out." she said.
Carolyn Andersen prepares corn for sale at her stand in front of her home in Kaysville. Anderson said she is out there, rain or shine, to sell fresh corn and produce. "We sell from 11am until 7pm most days." she said. Anderson has been selling fresh fruit and vegetables at her stand for 50 years.
Carolyn Andersen, 78, chats with Erick Gonzalez, 9, who was buying fresh produce and corn with his family at her stand in Kaysville. The Gonzalez family are from Salt Lake and just happened to drive by and see all the fresh corn for sale.
Layo Gonzalez, 36, Erick Gonzalez, 9, Monica Gonzalez, 34, and Edwin Gonzalez, 10, look at the vegetables and fruit for sale at Carolyn Andersen's stand in front of her home in Kaysville.
Fresh corn for sale at Carolyn Andersen's stand in Kaysville.
Kyle Andersen, 50, piles fresh corn for sale in the bed of the truck at his mother's stand in front of her home in Kaysville. Carolyn Anderson, 78, has been selling corn and other produce in front of her home for 50 years.
Fresh fruit, vegetables and corn at Carolyn Andersen's stand in front of her home in Kaysville. Andersen is 78 years old and this is her 50th year selling freshly farmed goods.
Fresh fruit at Carolyn Andersen's stand in front of her home in Kaysville. Anderson is 78 years old and this is her 50th year selling freshly farmed goods by the side of the road.
KAYSVILLE – Carolyn Andersen is part of a rare breed. After 50 years selling corn and other produce out of her truck just off Main Street in Kaysville, she is still going strong — and tells people constantly, “If you like to eat, you have to have an interest in agriculture. A lot of people think food just appears and they don’t realize the work that goes into it.”
The tradition began after her mom died more than 50 years ago and Andersen’s dad said the family needed a hobby.
So they began planting sweet corn on their 21 acres next to the hay fields and began selling it on the side of the road out of a truck, an old farm custom that Andersen has continued over the years. Not much has changed since then, including the fact that Andersen has never used a calculator in all her years managing the stand. “I just learned to do it in my head,” Andersen said.
The produce stand, 671 N. Main Street, has become a hit over the years, with a host of repeat customers. Andersen doesn’t have any plans to stop. At age 78, she still picks produce and pulls weeds by hand. “All my life, I’ve picked corn, and it’s never gotten old, because it just keeps you healthy and out working, and I love the outdoors,” Andersen said.
She gets up early and hand-picks the ripe produce, and customers come in droves. “It’s fresh out of the fields, and it tastes different than in the store because it’s freshly picked,” and doesn’t have any preservatives, Andersen said.
For 35 years, Andersen taught fifth grade, coming home from school, switching into Levis, and selling corn in the early evening hours. One of the most interesting things Andersen says about farming is that it’s always a mystery.
“Every year is different. Some years, things grow well, and others don’t, all depending on the weather,” Andersen said. “It may not be what you expect, but you learn to get by.”
Her son, Kyle, has been helping her with the produce stand recently, and has the same love for the hobby as his mother.
“We like to grow things and be outside and do our own things, giving us the freedom to do whatever you want to do, and every day is different — on the tractor one day, repairing machines another day, out selling the produce, or in the fields irrigating,” Kyle Andersen said. His favorite part is buying the seeds.
“It’s fun to order up a new crop each year, however, the price of seeds has gone up over the years, now selling per seed instead of per pound,” Andersen said. The farm grows and sells a host of produce, such as carrots, beets, zucchini, onions, watermelon, cantaloupe and beans, though their most popular produce is still corn and pumpkins.
The farm isn’t always smooth sailing, like the time Carolyn Andersen saw a host of ravens pulling up her small pumpkins. Thankfully, she had enough time in the season to plant more pumpkins.
As Andersen sees the increase in the popularity of fresh produce, she has seen a decline in canning produce.
Even she, who spent years canning using a pressure cooker, doesn’t participate in the tradition anymore. “It’s sad in a way, but maybe people just don’t have the time or don’t know how,” Andersen said.
However, one thing Andersen and her family are not in short supply of is fresh vegetables to eat.
