When Haller Lake resident Don Brown planted the batch of corn seeds he received from his daughter Patty Reid in May, he was thinking about the old farmerıs saying that corn stalks should be ³knee-high by the fourth of July.²

He got what he wished for and then some.

Members of the Haller Lake Community Club who visited Don and Phyllis Brownıs lakefront home to attend the clubıs annual summer picnic on Aug. 19 were surprised to find a corn field that looked like it had been magically transported here from Kansas, with an estimated 240 reddish corn stalks, each measuring 13 to 14 feet in height.

Don Brown said heıs never had a corn crop like this before, but insists that he didnıt do anything different than what he does every year. He simply planted the seeds his daughter bought in bulk from Burdic Feed & Hardware in Kent and added water. He didnıt use fertilizer, but commented that he did use his own homemade compost, which consists of horse manure and decomposed ³plant stuff.² He adds that heıs been composting for 50 years.

The seeds, which Brown believes are either of the Jubilee or Candy Corn variety, were planted in rows, with each seed placed approximately 5 to 6 inches apart.

Brown suspects all the sunny weather weıve been having this summer may have had something to do with the astonishing success of his corn crop this year. He also noted that ³we had hot weather when we planted.²

Phyllis Brown, who also tends the garden, reports that they are also having great success with other vegetables theyıve planted this year as well. v If you, like the Browns, have had a bumper crop this year and are wondering what to do with the extra produce, Haller Lake Community Club community service chairperson Betty Chang has a suggestion for you: share it with your local food bank.

Chang serves as the clubıs volunteer liaison with the Neighbors in Need Food Bank in Shoreline. Neighbors in Need receives donated bags of food on Monday mornings, which are then given out to needy families the following day. ³Even a sack full of apples or plums would be welcome,² she says.