The Mystery Of The McDonald's Corn Stalk

Admittedly, I didn't see this myself. It had to be pointed out to me.

(Thanks, Kurt, by the way). Apparently there was a whole tall corn stalk growing next to the McDonald's on Broadway. I had to go and see it for myself.

Yep, that's corn alright. But... how did it get there? Was it just a freak seed that blew in the wind, worked its way down under the rocks, and managed to wrestle itself to life against all odds? That seems a little unlikely, but not impossible. There aren't any corn fields immediately nearby, but maybe a truck drove by and lost a seed? I mean, stranger things have happened. And sometimes families set up a mini farmer's market in the parking lot there... maybe they lost one? It would take a lot for a random seed to get there, but obviously it did somehow.

I decided to learn more. I don't know anything about farming, so I looked up some things from Agriculture.com. According to them, you should plant your seed of corn about two inches deep.

Set up your planter with your desired seeding rate and make sure it is set for the right seed depth. Licht recommends 2 inches. “If it’s dry, that’s deep enough to get moisture. If it’s wet, it can get out of the ground rapidly.”

Huh. So... that's another possibility. If it really is two inches in the ground... does that mean someone deliberately planted it there?! Why? Did they not think it would work? Did they just think, "Eh, I'll put it there, nobody will notice it." Did they imagine it would and just wanted a random bit of nature next to all the asphalt? Has someone been secretly watering and maintaining this plant?! Were they just putting random seeds of corn anywhere they could just because they like the chaos? I like the idea behind that. I like to think that someone just drove around town Johnny Appleseed style and just planted corn where ever they wanted. Then they just... waited. Watched. Took note of what was working. Smiled silently to themselves as it started to grow. I haven't seen any other random stalks of corn out and about in town (in gardens and yards, sure, but not one lone stalk), but this one is real and standing tall for all to see.

I think the case of the Mysterious Stalk of Corn may remain... Unsolved. Unless you have any idea of how it might have gotten there? What do you think happened? How do you think it's stayed growing all this time? Has anybody plucked the ear?

Cornily yours,
Behka