KANOPOLIS — Ravenous raccoons were systematically robbing Dave and Connie Svaty of income, until a capeless crusader spared much of this year’s crop.
For decades, the stealthy varmints seemed to know just when sweet corn was ripe and ready for harvest at Svaty’s Produce north of Kanopolis in Ellsworth County.
Just about dark every night, the furry creatures born with built-in burglar masks, would creep into the acre or so of bounty bound for human customers.
"We’ve always had trouble with raccoons taking out our sweet corn. We plant it and seem to lose most of it," said Caleb, 34, first-born of the Svaty clan.
The thieving wild animals who dwell in nearby wooded areas, have selfishly picked sweet corn crops clean every summer since before he was born.
"We’ve spent all this time and effort trying to grow this sweet corn, and end up giving it away to the raccoons," he said. "We tried trapping them and using propane boom guns (going off at regular intervals), but they just got used to it.
"I finally decided we’d had enough of it."
Anointing himself brigadier general of what he proclaimed the "Battle of Sweet Corn Hill," a video playing on the Svaty’s Produce Facebook page, Caleb determined "we’re just gonna meet them head-on."
Blessed with a human force of two — 8-year-old Lucie and 6-year-old Simon (Fielder, 3, is an eager new recruit) — the burly, bearded dad devised a plan, complete with a secret weapon.
The platoon has been camping out for the past two weeks on the edge of the field planted with the "Moonshine" variety of sweet corn. It is so palate pleasing that a small portion of the bounty serves as field rations for the troops.
Perhaps the largest appetite for the starch-laden manna belongs to Gary, a 2-year-old, 90-pound Newfoundland canine, and clearly the MVP of this counter-offensive.
Once every half hour or so through the night, Gen. Caleb bellows out the tent window, "Go get ’em, Gary," and his darkly clad, four-legged commando storms into the foliage.
Green leaves slap at his well-muscled frame as Gary rumbles through with his big hazel eyes peeled for perpetrators, persistently chasing away the enemy.
"Gary has done a spectacular job," Gen. Caleb said. "He’s the hero."
Subordinates agree.
"Gary’s the one who always runs through every aisle," said Lucie, who will enter the third grade this fall at Ellsworth Elementary School.
"I think it’s kind of funny," she said.
While the Svaty offspring are snoozing in a sizable tent, decorated with company colors and logos, the Newfoundland dutifully tromps through his appointed rounds, repeating the chore throughout the night.
"It’s awesome," said Simon, a first grader-to-be. "Gary goes back and forth in every single row. We sleep on air mattresses, and the kittens sleep with us."
Other equipment includes a pair of LED spotlights strategically placed on each end of the field. Early on, Gary was accompanied by Caleb, but the growing pup has mastered his mission and is able to go it alone.
In addition to the raccoons, other strange creatures have been discovered meandering harmlessly through the corn.
A few nights ago, the general was awakened from the front lines. Gary was going ballistic.
"I get there, and he’s got an armadillo cornered, a big one. Gary was going bonkers," Caleb said. Lucky for the Svatys, he added, "Armadillos don’t eat corn."
In seasons past, raccoons devastated the Svaty sweet corn crop, often taking just a bite out of several ears, rendering them fit only for the hogs.
"They would come in and pull the husks down on every single ear, take a little nibble out of each one, and move on," Caleb said. "This (extended campout) stopped that. They now sit there in one spot and eat the whole ear. I’d say we’ve lost 100 to 200 ears, and out of the grand scheme of things, that isn’t too bad."
That loss, and a few snacks for the young troops, still leaves plenty for customers.
Svaty’s Produce sells at the Harvest Farmers Market Tuesdays at Emmanuel Foursquare Church, 1325 E. Cloud, next to the new Dillons in Salina; Wednesday at the Ellsworth American Legion (both 4 to 7 p.m.); 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays at the Ellsworth Farmers Market by the Union Pacific railroad tracks (Caleb runs that show); and 7:30 to 11 a.m. in downtown Hays. Most of the markets are manned by the Svaty founders.
As the raccoon face-off ensued during late June, Caleb began the campaign sleeping by himself in the pickup.
"Then Simon got this little tent for his birthday, and when you put up a tent, it’s gonna storm," Caleb said. "I decided to shoot some (video) footage of the tent. The wind was shaking the daylights out of it."
Filling downtime from his vigilance, Caleb began playing with the movie app on his smartphone. Eventually, 10 minutes worth of video clips became a movie preview like one might see at a theater, complete with mythical stars, production staff, dramatic music and authentic-looking graphics.
"I had no plans for it, but after I watched it, I thought people might think it was funny," Caleb said.
He was right. In less than a week, the fake trailer had collected 5,000 views, and the Facebook page gained more than 20,000 visits.
"I discovered in my parents’ business, you can leverage social media and use things like this to get some attention. It’s something different to promote the business," Caleb said. "The kids thought it was funny and were really excited."
And as the nightly battle rages on, the humans have acknowledged that "Gary saved the corn."
Caleb harvested enough unscathed sweet corn Monday night be well-stocked for this week’s markets.
Gradually, the barracks expanded to a family-sized tent — comfortable sleeping quarters, complete with an electric fan to move the humid air.
The past two weeks haven’t been easy for Caleb, who spends his days climbing turbine towers for Post Rock Wind Farm. His wife, Jen, is a speech language pathologist at Schilling Elementary School in Salina.
Losing some sleep is worth it on many fronts, Caleb said, both as a father and a protector of business interests.
"This is something the kids will remember," he said.
Without Caleb’s efforts to keep the raccoons somewhat at bay, raising enough sweet corn to sell is a tall task, Dave Svaty said.
"Caleb has worked extremely hard and he’s having some fun with his kids," he said. "I’m happy for him and for the dog. (Gary) has held his own. You can tell that dog’s pretty proud of himself."
There may be another mission as the growing season winds down.
"Dad said coyotes will be going after the melons," Caleb said. "We might be moving the tent."
The Link LonkJuly 17, 2020 at 02:52AM
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‘Battle of Sweet Corn Hill’ - Salina Journal
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