| It's a hot, Oklahoma
summer day in July, as I pull into Conrad Farms. The
packed parking lot, floods of people coming in and out
of the store and the truckloads of fresh produce being
brought in from the fields tell me that one of my
favorite times of the year is here ...corn season at
Conrad Farms.
 Conrad
Farms had it's start with Chester Conrad in 1931.
Chester was one of 12 children born to Charles and Rose
Conrad in Coffeyville, KS in 1907. He grew up on an 80
acre all purpose farm where they grew corn to feed the
animals and vegetables to feed the family. Chester was
married to Pauline Cook of
Arkansas City, KS in 1930.
They bought their first 80 acre farm in Timberhill,
OK in 1931. Pauline and Chester raised four children:
Eugene, Melvin, Maxine and Vernon Conrad. Chester was a
very ambitious man, working day and night to provide for
his family. There was a time when he had no money for
gasoline and was not able to drive to town to sell his
produce. Instead, he walked four miles with bushel
baskets on his back to his father's place so that his f ather
could peddle the produce for him. He did this until he
could afford to drive to town himself. Once his fields
were finished, Chester would actually drive to Bixby to
buy produce because he was not able to grow enough
produce to keep up with the amount he could sell. In
1936, Chester came to Tulsa to find work for the winter.
 Meanwhile,
Pauline, as ambitious as Chester, spent her time picking
through the finished fields. She picked, washed and
peddled this produce that winter, all the while taking
care of two very young boys. All her hard work paid off
more than Chester or Pauline would have thought. It was
when Chester returned from his stint in Tulsa that he
decided to make his living at farming.
Chester then rented 80 acres from his father and
turned this land into another all purpose farm. He
farmed this land until 1939, when he moved to Bixby for
what he considered to be the best farming land around.
Chester was always dreaming up something big. One of his
creations was a large glass greenhouse that he built by
himself because he wanted to grow his own lettuce
plants. To do this, he had to heat it with a boiler
which he had to keep going 24 hours a day during the
winter with wood that he had to cut. He never seemed to
slow down. It was hard work like this that would pay off
in the end.
 It was in 1942 that Chester bought the land from Holt Malcolm on which Conrad Farms currently resides. During the early 1940's, he would take his produce to the Farmer's market in Tulsa. Eugene Conrad tells of the times that he would convince his dad to allow him to go with him to the market. Vendors would back their trucks into the stalls and sell their goods straight out of the truck beds. Eugene says that he always looked forward to the ice cream cart that would come down the middle of the stalls. Shortly after these times, Chester begin to sell primarily to chain wholesale companies, such as Safeway, Shculler Fruit, Nash Finch and Tulsa Fruit Co. Then in the early 1950's, Chester starting icing and shipping corn to surrounding towns and then eventually nationwide to places like Long Island, NY, Des Moines, IA, Cinncinati, OH, and Salt Lake City, UT. They shipped everything from cabbage and cucumbers to radishes and watermelons.
 Chester
was always looking for ways to grow. While loading the
corn onto the trucks, locals would drive by the farm
asking for corn. Chester, of course, jumped on the
opportunity and started making it a priority to take
care of these local customers. At one time, Chester's
father sat under the shade tree next to the road and
sold random vegetables to passers by. As business grew,
they moved sales into the red barn and started setting
up tables and displays. Chester's sons, Eugene, Melvin
and Vernon, played a big part in the growth of the
company. Between the three of them, they had everything
covered, from the planting and harvesting to the
merchandising and marketing.
In 1973, Chester added the second barn and Conrad
Farms continued to grow and grow. In 1974, the farm
store stayed open year round for the first time.
 By
the 1980's, Conrad's was farming over 1300 acres and
shipping semi truck loads all over the nation and even
into Canada. However, due to changes in the economy in
1986, their wholesale profits went down and they decided
th ey
were putting more money and effort into it than it was
worth. In 1987, they scaled back their wholesale
endeavors and put all their focus on the store and their
local customers. Every summer, Conrad's sells over half
a million ears of corn and roughly 15,000 watermelons.
Every year, they grow around 70 varieties of produce.
Their corn has become world famous and their fresh
produce is highly anticipated every year. Conrad's also
offers many unique specialty items and local dairy
products. As I stand in line, I hear long time customers
sharing their stories, comparing their favorite ways to
roast and eat corn and it makes my mouth water. I better
get 2 bushels of corn.
 Chester
Conrad, a man known for his hard work, innovative thinking
and never ending jokes, left a legacy that is being
carried on by his sons. Conrad Farms is not only a
staple in Bixby, but a tradition and it continues to
flourish, with 2004 being their best year ever. Conrad
Farms has many more years --and many, many more ears of
corn--ahead of them. |
