Has anyone gleaned corn fields in recent years? I have heard that it is not worth it, but I had pigs a few years back and they got out and found plenty in my neighbors recently harvested field. Back when I was a kid (telling my age) we were paid 25 cents to glean corn fields and I remember getting quite a lot. If I wanted to do this, do I pay the owner of the field so much a feed bag/bushel?

-- phyllis a wrman (phyllis.warman@twcable.com), February 13, 2001

Answers

My mother-in-law gleans the corn fields for bird and squirrel feed. All she does is ask the farmer and he says sure. Never charges her a penny.

-- Cindy (SE In) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), February 13, 2001.

A friend wbo has lots of pigs but not much land has an arrangement with his neighbor, to pasture his pigs in the corn and soybean fields after combining. They both win, my friends pigs get free food, and his neighbor(who uses no till) has alot of stubble incorporated as well as noticing fewer weed seeds in next rotaion (as well as free manure).

-- Harald in Ontario (stahl@bestnet.org), February 13, 2001.

Corn fields are harder to glean now because of the use of combines rather than pickers. We still do glean, but try to find where the combine turns or breaks into the field and pretty much forgrt the rest of the field.

-- Barbara Fischer (bfischer42@hotmail.com), February 14, 2001.

I've never thought about the corn feilds. We glean potatoes in a HUGE feild. My freind learnd about it and took me. They weree happy to let take ALL we wanted. I picked for 2 hours with them and my kids. I was worried I didn't take enough til my husband counted 500 lbs! And we hadn't harvested ours from the garden!!! She feeds her family of nine all year and makes makes lots of lefsa.

-- Novina in ND (lamb@stellarnet.com), February 15, 2001.

We glean..... We find that corn stalks and harvesting machinery has been improved to the point where it is difficult to really find a lot. Where the combine turns is one of the best areas to look. Also we watch for areas that have got blown down in strong winds. That doesn't happen every year. Watch the birds for clues where the corn is. Also search after or during strong winds-that blows the husks and debris away. Don't look for yellow. Look for filled husks-in the recent years we rarely find full ears-we mostly find 4-5 inch broken stubs, feet are important tools. Sometimes the husk will be intact but the corn will be shelled and lying loose in the husk. Make sure you use a good bucket. We try to go over areas several times-after winds, if an area has proved productive. My mom likes to take a small grandchild with her-saves on stooping over. We also carry 2 buckets, filling each at the same time-it balances the loads. Now with the new BT/Starlink corn-you might want to check and see what kind of corn you are picking up. CG

-- Craig Giddings (ckgidd@netins.net), February 15, 2001.

The only corn fields around us is the kind for cattle, but we do have potatoes and broccoli. Sometimes we hear of carrots. The farmers are usually pretty good about letting people glean from the harvested fields. THe broccoli fields we can go into after the first crop is taken. This really helps if your garden didn't do so well wit hsome veggies.

-- michelle (tsjheath@ainop.com), February 19, 2001.

If you have people around you who grow sweet corn for retail sale, not all of the ears get picked. Contact them about gleaming what is left after the stalks have dried out.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 20, 2001.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I never thought of gleaning potato and other types of fields for my own use. I was just thinking of supplementing for my animals. I know there are large tomato, mellon crops and probably other veggies as well. Good idea. Thanks.

-- phyllis warman (phyllis.warman@twcable.com), February 20, 2001.