Olathe sweet corn is on it's way to supermarkets across the country. On Monday, the first harvest of the year happened in Delta County

John Harold has been farming corn in Olathe for nearly 30 years, and back in 1985 he branded and made his sweet corn famous. He says it's not the only crop he grows but it provides him the most money.

"Olathe Sweet" sweet corn has put Delta County on the map.

"We ship sweet corn from Alaska to Virginia in the summer time," Harold said. "They're very few places you don't go where people don't understand what "Olathe Sweet" sweet corn is."

But this crop is Harold's way of life. He's been farming it for nearly 30 years.

"This year we have about 1550-1600 acres of sweet corn," he said. "There's 67 fields in the program ranging anywhere form 10 acres to 55 acres."

Harold says weather plays a vital role in how much corn he can produce and sell, and the Western Slope's mild winter caused some problems.

"Last year we had cold, wet weather. This year we had hot, dry weather," he said. "Water is always a problem. We've had to manage water better but it gone well."

Well enough to produce nearly 1,600 acres of sweet corn, but he says he could do it without his workers.

"If we didn't have a migrant program we would be out of business because mechanically we can't pick it gently enough," Harold said. 

And pickers had help with the year's first harvest. Representative Sal Pace--who's running for congress in Colorado's Third Congressional District--came to help out with the harvest.

"It's important for policy makers to hear what folks on the ground are doing," he said."I think too many people in Washington just try to guess what's happening back at home and what I want to do is see first hand how this operation works and what they need to operate."

As for the secret to the making delicious corn, Harold says it's all about keeping it sweet.

"Our goal is to try and have the corn picked and cooled within an hour," he said. "The reason for that is it stops the sugar to starch process and that way when you get the cob temperature below 38 degrees, it arrives at the store it's got the flavor as it has in the field."