Sean Dengler.

My small vegetable garden is where an old tree used to stand before my wife and I bought this place. The garden is framed by what used to be a wooden base to the tree. Unfortunately, the soil is nothing compared to the famed northern Tama County soil. While no longer farming, the process of watching plants grow and trying different tactics each year is always fascinating.

I have grown sunflowers, watermelons (planted way too late), carrots, spinach (the worst crop I have grown), and other random vegetables throughout the years. I have also grown popcorn which turned out well. This year was my first year planting sweet corn. Sadly, the first planting did not go well.

In fact, the sweet corn did not go. Being overzealous, the sweet corn was planted too early. While there were warm days in April when it was planted, the temperatures dipped in the days after the planting. I waited and waited and waited for nothing to pop through the soil. After a couple weeks, the idea of these seeds germinating was moot. They may have germinated, but the soil also crusted over from an April shower. I did not feel the need to invest in a rotary hoe to break up the crust. Ultimately, this became a replant situation.

The replant went much better. Several of the sweet corn seeds quickly popped through due to the warmer May temperatures. The ample rainfall and continuing warmer temperatures led to the sweet corn growing at a decent pace. Then disaster struck.

After coming outside one morning to check on the flowers and other gardens, I saw the sweet corn had been snipped. Whether it was a curious rabbit or deer, the suspect did not matter. The damage was done. Of all the sweet corn plants which stood the previous night, only one was still standing.

After planting other sweet corn seeds in June to help cure the other sweet corn plant’s loneliness, these little tykes are not impressive. This lone wolf sweet corn plant personifies persistence. Despite all the other issues affecting its buddies along the way, this plant is tall with a beautiful deep green color.

Life can also be hard. A lot of parts of life can knock one down, and life is going to be far from perfect. Persistence is key. Living life is chugging along and knowing tomorrow is another day. A day living is another day worth doing. When everything goes wrong and only one sweet corn plant stands tall, not everything is lost. This one plant shows anything is possible despite tough circumstances.

We can make the most of life like this sweet corn plant. At times, life feels like holding us down, but it is important to carry on. Be like the sweet corn plant and thrive in whatever situation is presented.Time will tell if this sweet corn ear possesses any kernels due to this season’s struggles. Either way, life goes on, and we all adapt.

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, now-retired beginning farmer, and host of the Pandaring Talk podcast who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.