Business & Tech
Just Picked Farm Stand Brings the Sweetest Corn Around — Oh, And Smiles, Too
Farmer Tom Gawley of Just Picked Farm Stand, swears his corn is best eaten raw from the cob. Patch followed suit and was pleasantly surprised. See what else this fresh veggie hot spot has to offer.
Just Picked’s loyal followers were waiting patiently Friday for the farm stand to open for the summer season.
Not only were Tinley Parkers longing for red, ripe tomatoes and sweet bi-color corn, they were waiting to give a friendly "hello" to owners Tom and Diane Gawley.
“The produce is superb, a good value, and you can’t get nicer people than Tom and Diane," said Sharon Bakker, a Tinley resident who added that she's been coming to the corner stand for several years. "I really shop for service as well as quality.”
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Just Picked farmstead has been going strong for about 24 years, with a large following of fruit and veggie loving customers. Besides their big wooden sign, the stand relies on word of mouth for its customers.
It helps that the Gawleys have strong local ties. They used to live in the old Bettenhausen farmhouse once on 171st Street and 80th Avenue, across from where Just Picked sets up shop today.
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Tom is a former employee at Bettenhausen Hardware Store, as well as a volunteer firefighter with the . Upon retirement, he took up his wife's interest in gardening and the two began supplying fresh fruit and vegetables to their neighbors.
“We live in Manhattan now, and our farm is located in Kankakee,” Diane said. “We try to offer only the best produce, and of course, only what's in season.”
What are some customer favorites?
“People seem to like the tomatoes," she said. "And our corn is fantabulous."
Cherries, potatoes and hanging floral baskets are also big sellers, the couple said.
To pick the sweetest corn, Diane suggested opening the husks to check for big, firm kernels. Tom also put in his 2 cents.
“You just have to eat it raw,” he said, peeling the husk off a cob and daring me to take a bite.
So I did—an assignment is an assignment after all—and I was pleasantly surprised. It was the sweetest, juiciest corn I'd ever tasted. Just like candy.
Just Picked is now open Monday through Friday until the end of October from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. On Sundays, hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays, they're 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The stand is located at the corner of 171st Street and 80th Avenue, across from the Tony Bettenhausen Recreational Center. Ample parking is available.
