For Twin Garden Farms in Harvard, success is all in the genes. Their TGF Mirai (pronounced mee-rye) sweet corn, a special hybrid developed on the farm, has become their trademark in recent years, drawing in crowds eager to try Mirai, which in Japansese translates to “taste of the future.”
“It’s an SE gene for tenderness, and it’s an SH-2 gene for sweetness, and it’s an old-fashioned SU gene – the original sweet corn gene – for flavor,” Gary Pack, one of three partners in the farm, said. “We just basically back it up by saying it’s the best sweet corn in the world, guaranteed.”
Gary Pack started working on his family’s farm Twin Gardens Farm after graduating high school. Today he is now partner in the family business, which produces a corn so sweet TGF’s average customer travels for 30 miles just to bite into an ear of Mirai Corn and to see what the “taste of the future” is all about. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
Today, Mirai makes up about 30 percent of Twin Gardens’ business, according to Pack. The farm raises other varieties of sweet corn and other vegetables as well.
Where: 23017 Rt. 173, Harvard
Phone: 815-943-7448
Web: twingardenfarms.com
Roadside Market: Open during “corn season” (approx. July 20 and after). Seven days per week. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Note: Readers can experience Mirai corn and other tastes of Twin Garden Farms at Huntley’s Farmers Market.
Although Mirai has proven to be a reliable quality crop, the road to growing it was not planned. Pack said a seed breeder who worked with the family to develop new varieties of sweet corn came across Mirai by accident.
Because of its relative lack of vigor, Mirai cannot be mass-produced like other sweet corns.
“We had a relationship with a Japanese vegetable company and worked with them originally, knowing that vegetable production in Japan is much different than in the U.S.,” Pack said. “It’s done a lot more by hand over there, and the fields are much smaller and the families take care of their seeds personally.”
Twin Garden Farms began selling Mirai in roadside and famers’ markets in 2003. Two years later, the business would get some unexpected attention.
Carolyn Starks, a reporter from the Chicago Tribune, was in the area writing a story on wine in Northern Illinois. When one local told her to ditch the vines and head for the stalks in Harvard, the story reached the big city and the ears of WGN radio personality Spike O’Dell.
Pack, who was in New York researching new varieties of Mirai at the time, got a call from O’Dell’s intern, asking him to bring some corn to the studio.
A self-described “WGN freak,” Pack cut the trip short, flew back home, and took his wife Karen and his corn to Chicago, relishing the experience of meeting O’Dell and broadcaster Orion Samuelson in the studio.
“We give [O’Dell] a regular ear of corn, and he takes a bite and he says, ‘Gary this is pretty good.’ And I look at my wife, and I say ‘Crap, we might have shot ourselves in the foot here; I don’t know what’s going to happen.’”
So then we gave him an ear of bi-color Mirai, and he had his half-glasses on, and he took a bite and he looked at us over his glasses, looked at Orion, looked at me, looked at Karen and didn’t say a word and proceeded to eat the entire ear of corn raw on live WGN radio with 1.3 million people listening, and we’ve never been the same,” Pack said.
Though it is common for businesses to get a boost when they are mentioned in the Chicago media, Pack said the crowds have not stopped coming in.
Twin Garden Farms was founded by Pack’s grandparents in 1954. They initially purchased 200 acres of land, and two years later, bought 200 more, giving them the idea for the farm’s name.
Pack’s father and two uncles continued the family business, and Pack joined in after graduating high school. His first roles were driving a semi truck full of produce to Chicago and managing the roadside market. Since then, he has worn many hats on the farm.
“I planted, I harvested, I’ve done basically everything here except rebuilding an engine, so I’ve had experiences in all aspects of the business,” he said.
Today, Pack handles finances, marketing, and ensuring the farm meets government requirements. What he enjoys most, however, is the personal connection with customers and sellers.
“I really like the hand-to-hand activity with retail customers,” he said. “I really enjoy that, and Mirai’s a great product because it does what we say it’s going to do, and it’s easy to guarantee it, and people are happy when they get it. So for eight or twelve weeks a year, it’s a lot of fun.”
Yet even with “the best sweet corn in the world,” it’s impossible to please everyone. This is where Pack’s business philosophy comes into play. He will stop growing and expanding the farm when he gets unhappy customers, then go back and work on the issue until they are smiling.
Twin Garden has adapted to changes in technology and society. According to Pack, they were the first to put corn in corrugated, wax-coated cardboard boxes.
Some changes in society have lent themselves well to Pack’s business.
“There’s a trend right now to go to the local, and even the biggest chain store in the world is trying to spin it local,” he said. “So everybody wants local and fresh, and a lot of organics are going on and those kinds of things, but the important thing is to probably know where your product comes from.”
One way to know where produce is from is to shop at local markets. Pack encouraged people to try out farmers’ markets and interact with vendors.
Those who want to try Mirai for themselves can visit twingardenfarms.com or call at 815-943-7448 for more information.
