LONG PROMO:   
Heh, we’re in the Sunshine State.  No, I’m not getting a tan.  I’m looking at corn.  That’s right.  Super summer sweet corn.  Oh my goodness.  How do they grow so much corn in Florida?  How do they keep it so sweet?  Well, we’re going to look at that.  Oh, plus, we’re checking out a really cool new restaurant in Miami.  Oh, we’re going to have fun…all next week with me, Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.

SHORT PROMO: 
Heh, it’s all about super summer sweet corn from the Sunshine State, from Florida…next week with me, Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.
                                                                                                         
SWEET CORN I (Monday, May 7):  You know, when you think of corn, you don’t exactly think of the state of Florida.  And when you think of Florida, you don’t exactly think of corn.  You think of sun, fun, beaches.  But did you know that Florida actually grows more summer sweet corn than any other state in the Union.  In fact, West Palm Beach County, get this…that’s the place to be if you want super summer sweet corn.  Oh my goodness, they grow so much summer sweet corn.  In fact, they grow about 10 million crates of corn every year.  That’s about 500 million ears of corn from growers like…Farmer John.  Heh, John, all this week, we’re going to be talking about corn.  Do you love corn?  FARMER JOHN:  We love corn.  YPM:  Well, we’re going to talk about how they grow corn here, how they harvest it,  and most important, how they get that corn to us and it’s still so super sweet, so full of sugar, full of flavor, plus we’re going to hit a really cool restaurant in Miami.  Oh, we’re going to have so much fun.    I’m Michael Marks…Your Produce Man.  (Takes Bite)  Mmmm.

TEASE:  Heh, in my next Produce Man report, I’m a pickin’…FARMER JOHN:  And I’m a grinnin’.

SWEET CORN II (Tuesday, May 8):  You know, corn started out as a big, tall grass.  Then the Aztec and Incan Indians figured out how to turn that tall grass…into corn.  Farmer John Alger, you’re a grower here in Florida, explain to us…exactly what’s the botany of corn?  FARMER JOHN:  Well, you have your tassel up top.  That’s the male part of the plant, the pollen.  The pollen drops, fertilizes the silks.  That’s the female part of the plant.  Each silk is pollinated and creates the kernel.  When the kernels are mature, they swell with loads of sugar.  YPM:  Is that the official term, it swells?  FARMER JOHN:  It swells and it’s loaded with sugar and ready to go.  YPM:  Now, how do you know when this is ready to harvest?  FARMER JOHN:  It’s called the bite test.  It’s really high technology.  YPM:  Now wait a second…  FARMER JOHN:  It’s ready.  YPM:  Well, let me test too.  (Takes Bite)  It’s ready.  Heh, stick around.  We’re going to show you how they harvest corn.  I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.  Mmmm.  This is good.

TEASE: Heh, in my next Produce Man report, Farmer John tells us about the anatomy of corn. 

SWEET CORN III (Wednesday, May 9):  Heh, these crates of corn, they’re empty, aren’t they?  They won’t be empty for long.  You know, the farmers here in Florida, they get about one ear of corn for every stalk.  If they harvest 500 million ears of corn every year, that’s a half billion stalks of corn.  That’s a lot of machines they need for harvesting, huh?  No, no, no.  They don’t use machines to harvest corn here.  They use their hands.  All of the corn…harvested by hand.  What does that do?  That means the corn doesn’t get bruised on the bottom of the ear.  Nobody likes bruised corn.  Now, when they harvest the corn by hand, folks here like Mary Lou, she’s numero ocho, she’s going to pack quenta y ocho, that’s 48 ears of corn in this crate…all by hand.  And she’s very careful.  Hand packs, hand places them…and doesn’t bruise them.  Let me show you where they go from here.  Oh, yeah.  Take a look at that.  It’s like a cool dance, well choreographed perfectly.  But you know, this isn’t the end of the stop for this corn.  Before it hits our stores, there’s one other stop and you’ve got to see it.  I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man.  

TEASE: Heh, in my next Produce Man report, when you’re harvesting corn in Florida, you don’t need big picking machines.  You just need…your hands. 

SWEET CORN IV (Thursday, May 10):    Heh, the corn we picked in the fields, it goes into this loooong tunnel.  Now that corn comes out of that long tunnel, it’s all wet.  No, they’re not washing it to clean it.  They’re getting it ice cold.  When an ear of corn comes out of the field, the internal temperature can be as high as 85 or 90 degres.  They have to quickly get this corn down to about 40 or 38 degrees.  They do it with this very chilled water.  Oh, by the way, here’s numero ocho.  That’s right.  Mary Lou’s corn is right here.  By the way, when you get this home, don’t waste around.  Get it into the refrigeraor.  You know, corn that comes in from the field, this is really cool.  A lot of corn ends up in packages in our grocery store.  It goes from this (whole corn) to this (shucked and cut corn) in just a matter of moments.  Now some of the packaged corn is fully husked.  This is a really cool machine.  It takes the entire husk off…without bruising the kernals.  It is unbelievable.  Oh, I can’t wait to take a bite out of this.  (Takes bite)  Oooh, that is so good.  I’m Michael Marks, another fresh tip on produce.

TEASE:  Heh, this corn that came in from the field…how in the world do they get that little window it?  It’s not a bunch of people.  It’s a cool machine. 
 
SWEET CORN V (Friday, May 11):  I’m at the trendy Michy’s restaurant in Miami.  Oh, what a cool place to be.  Michele Berstein.  Chef, thank-you so much for having us here.  MICHY:  Anytime.  YPM:  Corn.  Summer sweet corn.  Most people simply think Corn on the Cob, smothered with butter.  You do some fun things, don’t you?  MICHY:  Oh my goodness, yes.  There is a whole world outside corn on the cob.  It’s delicious.  Here I’ve got a Corn Siveche done with all kinds of springtime or summertime vegetables.  For the kids, we’ve got a cute, fun Corn Lollypop.  YPM:  This looks cool.  MICHY:  Absolutely delicious.  Fun to make, better to eat.  It’s got all kinds of great spices, ginger, cayenne.  YPM:  So this would be a fun way to get your kids or your grandkids into the kitchen with you, huh?  Come up with fun seasonings for your own Corn Lollypop.  MICHY:  You’ve got it.  You’ve got it.  YPM:  Oh, by the way, before we leave you.  How was it beating Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America?  MICHY:  Not bad.  It felt pretty good.  I was pretty proud of myself.  He was a gentleman, though.  YPM:  I bet he was.  I’m Michael Marks, Your Produce Man. 

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