4-29-24 Nyssa chamber banquet

Last week we started getting invitations to the Nyssa Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Days are super full so I wasn't sure if I could commit. A few days later I was informed my parents were getting an award and could I help spread the word. That changed my willingness and I sent some texts to invite some dear family. We got together that evening for a long party. 

At the end, we gathered for a picture. This is the crop my parents grow best! A strong family full of strong-willed opinionated people who have turned all their energy into great lives and are in turn creating their legacies.

Some of the grandkids came to support their grandparents. The theme was Mardi Gras complete with lots of beads. The kids took that as a challenge to gather as many as they could. 

It was really hard to shut off the tractor before 5 to get my family on the road and situated for the evening. 

I'm so thankful for modern agriculture with auto steer that makes perfect rows and has much less operator stress. 

Mark and John had their Junio Senior Prom as well. Mark's date Sariah, and  John's Lia. 

The auction took so long, there were so many quality items but the auctioner really milked the crowd. 

James and Reed patiently enduring. 

Harold was driving back to college so we sent him on his way. Complete with a bag of popcorn for the road. 

The family was scattered throughout the dining area and we moved between the tables visiting and sharing purchases. 

The girls always have fun with their cousins. The dinner was unique to our taste New Oreleans fare. Complete with jambalaya. The all-you-could-eat shrimp and honey-buttered cornbread were delicious and comfortable. It's good to have new experiences and I'm glad we were able to share this time with family. 

Each table was hosted by a different business. One table had stanley tumblers which are hugely popular right now. Trey scored some sugar beets!

Trey and grandma in their funny hats. 

My parents were at the very end. They were surprised and humbly accepted their award. They do not like attention called to them. 

 It was a nice evening full of visiting, relaxing, and waiting. We came home and Greg went back to planting while I got kids to bed. My parents have created a great life and example for us all to look up to. I'm thankful for the farm life that allowed me time to work with them and provided self-confidence and self-reliance as I created my own life and family. We are so blessed. 

I wrote this later as my memories of their agricultural journey

Bruce began farming at a young age driving tractor for his father. He grew up working alongside his parents and learning the craft of growing crops and caring for animals. At age 14 he grew his first crop of sugar beets, beginning a lifelong multi-generational connection with the amalgamated sugar company. A few short years later he met and decided to date then court Renae who was also an agriculturalist raising bottle calves to sell and working on the much harder ground of the nyssa bench. Both being farmers their dates involved farm chores. One evening they went to check Bruce’s irrigation water. Renae was shocked he didn’t bring a shovel. No successful irrigation on bench ground is possible without a lot of deep hard shoveling. They were both heavily involved in the Nyssa FFA . The two continued their courtship and decided to marry on June 11, 1977.

Their first years of life were spent on part of the expansive  K,S, & D land near the Snake River in Nyssa. Not only did they till the soil, but began a family of 7 children.  5 girls, and 2 boys came over the next 16 years of their life. The children were welcome and enjoyed going to farm with dad. After doing water a short stop at M & W for a donut were a hoped for end to the chore, and just maybe to going with Grandma Lois Corn for a while. Bruce was a patient teacher developing the ability to teach not only farming but life lessons as they waited for a dam to fill, or as they drove from one piece of land to the next. The ride along kid was able to witness and learn from the many interactions between landlords, hired hands, and farm buyers in this time spent with dad. Through all the days of work and struggle Renae would make sure there were healthy meals on time and that the bills got paid.  They had a shared goal that their kids were learning to work and manage their money.

In addition to that full time job both were called to be in various leadership positions year after year in both the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and in the community. Bruce served over 30 years on the Owyhee Irrigation Board and also served for over 20 years on the Sugar Beet board. Through this service he was mentored and allowed monthly interaction with fellow farmers, lawyers, and managers. Always being a student he learned how they treated others, how they managed businesses and policies and how they personally lived their lives.  A perk was some yearly travel opportunities all over the country.  These were formative relationships and bridges between past and present farmers and leaders.

Renae was busy with life at home also serving in church callings, but mostly training her family and gaining her own executive skills as she learned to be still and heal from injuries. This long suffering gave them both a new spin on life and further developed their relationship with each other, God, and others. As her healing progressed hard times came to the farm with Markets being low and unsustainable in the late 90’s. Renae realized she could not work her way out the problem, but she could use what they had and make a difference. Thus began a 20+ year journey of educating people around the Valley even around the country about how to cook with and store wheat.

She had honed her baking skills over years of homemaking and was a presenter with real life from the trenches experience. She immersed herself in wheat knowledge and began offering workshop classes where students could hear, touch, and taste whole wheat food. In addition to this direct marketing they had a contract with a local bakery that really drove their production. The weekly trips to Nampa Idaho in his old 1960’s one axle farm truck were a staple of Bruce’s weeks for years. He would even take the antiquated truck to Boise Town Square the local “big” shopping center to buy Christmas presents for the family and Renae especially. Bruce always made a point to buy clothes he thought were pretty for her and this required a trip to the “big” city.

Becoming known and familiar with the fresh bread market opened an opportunity for the local Ontario FFA chapter the Corn kids were members of. Renae would bake dozens of loaves of bread at a local independent bakery for the FFA kids to sell to fund their FFA travel expenses. All this experience and practice made Renae the best bread maker around and developed her kid’s (and their peers) skills of selling. Bruce & Renae have a talent for giving their children ways to develop their skills and talents.  In addition to financial opportunities Bruce and Renae were deeply involved and willing to train more than one class of FFA public speakers. This ability to speak in front of others is one for which they are known and think highly important for others. Through their hours and hours of listening and suggesting improvements kids have transformed from weak communicators to national winners.

In the early 2000’s grandkids began to arrive in the family and a new chapter began. Over the years Bruce has found a new enjoyment working with his grandkids on various farm projects. From washing and driving his extensive classic tractor collection inherited from his father to a community ag show, or teaching them to operate tractors or trucks he loves empowering his grandkids. The kids still love lunch and or dinner at grandma Corn’s table and look forward and connive ways to be at grandma’s house.

It is hard to separate who exactly does which piece of the farm. Renae is masterful at bringing life to Bruce’s ideas and responsibilities. From seasonal parties with either family or friends or both to business ventures they are a team. Renae working so often on the computer books side of the farming with Bruce in the physical day to day it is a team effort. This commitment to work together has made them an unconquerable team, no matter the weather, market, or other problem their faith and dedication to each other have found a solution and way forward.

Of note on any farm are the host of workers who also manage the day to day work required to grow and harvest crops. Over the years several  field men have blessed the Corn farm- Perry McPeak, Daniel Hernandez, Robert Deleon, Juan , and Bernardo. Each gave their unique skills and life experience to the Corn family and we are thankful for their time and energy.