I have not grow corn or green beans for a few years now. We have relied on Terra Firma, since they have more land than we do and a picking machine for the beans.
This year I decided to plant our own. Last Saturday we hand-hoed the corn for the first time and removed any side shoots, which helps the plant focus its energy into producing one stem and one great ear of corn. The corn is planted in a block ten beds wide and halfway down the field (the other half is green beans). Since corn is wind-pollinated, planting in a block creates a better chance that all kernels on each ear will be filled (each kernel corresponds to a strand of corn silk, and each silk needs to be pollinated in order for a kernel to develop). We will be using a soil microorganism to help us control the corn ear worm that we all so love in our corn.