Diane Krupinski knows sweet corn. Her family’s farm, Krupinski Farms in Foley, is a hotspot for buying locally grown corn in Baldwin County, the sweet corn capital of Alabama. 

“Corn down here is a hot commodity,” Diane says. “In the summertime, everybody always wants the sweet corn. One reason I think it is so popular here is it goes so well with seafood. When you do a shrimp or crawfish boil, you’re going to want corn to go with it.”

The Krupinskis, who grow a variety of fruits and vegetables and sell directly from their farm, usually start their corn season around Memorial Day and have another crop available in the fall. 
Diane has worked full time on the farm since her oldest child was born 12 years ago. The Krupinskis’ three children all grew up working on the farm. 

“I’ve always taken them with me to work,” Diane said. “I had our youngest on a Friday and went back to work on a Monday, so at three days old, he was on the farm. Our return customers have watched these boys grow up.”

Working long hours on the farm and taking her sons to school and extracurricular activities doesn’t stop Diane from cooking fresh vegetables in her kitchen.

“We try to cook as many days of the week as we can,” she says. “Because we’re so busy, I always try to make it as simple as possible after being on the farm all day. I’ve learned tricks over the years to make things simple — like with corn, if you leave a layer of shucks on and you microwave it, it’s amazing how the silks just fall off. A lot of times, before I cut the kernels off the cob, I’ll stick it in the microwave. It saves a lot of time.”