Massachusetts Farm Explains Why You Should Never Peel Corn Before Buying

Summertime is best celebrated with a stop to your local farm stands. Whether you're grabbing a dozen ears of sweet corn, fresh tomatoes or just supporting a neighborhood business, those roadside stands are built on trust and respect.

Unfortunately, one Westport farm says not everyone is returning that respect.

Along Route 177, Mom & Pop Farm recently shared a frustrated Facebook post after finding ear after ear of corn partially peeled open and left behind. The message was simple: if you peel back the husk, buy the corn. Once the husk has been pulled back, many other customers won't purchase that ear, leaving the farm to absorb the loss.

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Why It Matters

Unlike a large grocery chain, small family farms work incredibly hard to grow every crop they sell. From planting and watering to weeding, harvesting and stocking the stand each day, every ear of corn represents months of work. When shoppers peel back the husk just to inspect it and then toss it aside, it often becomes unsellable.

If you're shopping at a local farm stand this summer, the etiquette is simple: choose your corn by feel, not by peeling. If you accidentally open one, do the right thing and buy it.

READ MORE: 7 Best Southcoast Places to Buy Sweet Corn

Supporting local farms means more than just stopping by. It also means treating their products with the same care and respect they put into growing them. As this Westport farm's passionate post makes clear, a little courtesy goes a long way.