Tony Bias can talk your ear off about corn.

Monday, August 27, 2001

Tony Bias can talk your ear off about corn.

He’s been selling it fresh from the bed of his pickup each summer for many years, and he thinks he’s figured out why his customers keep coming back for more.

&uot;I think people like fresh corn – picked that very morning by hand,&uot; Bias said. &uot;And that’s what I do. I get up at 6 a.m. and pick 60 or 70 dozen.&uot;

Carol Thompson is one of those repeat customers that Bias sees every few days. She stopped by the stand Friday to pick up a dozen ears. She swears the freshest corn is &uot;less starchy.&uot;

&uot;This should last for a couple of meals,&uot; she said. &uot;It’s just for me and my husband, but we love it.&uot;

Bias recognized Ada Kuethe when she pulled up to the stand, located on North Bridge Avenue.

&uot;Hey! I’ve seen you before. Didn’t you get enough yesterday?&uot; he teases.

&uot;That’s some good corn,&uot; Kuethe replied matter-of-factly.

Price is one key to roadside stand success, Bias said. He only charges $1.50 per dozen, but he likes to put a thirteenth ear in each bag as a little bonus for his customers, &uot;just in case they get a bad one,&uot; he said.

Site selection is also important. North Bridge Avenue is perfect, because there’s plenty of traffic and wide shoulders for parking.

&uot;I like it here, and I guess people know to look for me on this street,&uot; he said.

In five or six hours, Bias can usually sell out of his corn, taking home over $100. The earlier he sells his truck load, the better. On really good days, he sells out by lunchtime, meaning he can squeeze in a quick nap before he heads into Wells for his full-time job at Dulas Excavating.

Though selling roadside corn makes for a tough schedule, Bias said it’s worth the effort.

&uot;I figure I make about 10 bucks an hour if you factor in the time it take to pick the stuff,&uot; Bias said. &uot;It’s a nice little supplement.&uot;

Bias is taking the weekend off from selling corn to attend – you guessed it – Kernel Days in Wells, a celebration dedicated to the glory of corn.

&uot;Apparently, I can’t get enough of the stuff,&uot; he said.