# Why does an ear of corn cost so much at the grocery store or farmers market **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-ear-of-corn-cost-so-much-at-the-grocery-store-or-farmers-market/772017 "2016-11-15T00:34:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-ear-of-corn-cost-so-much-at-the-grocery-store-or-farmers-market/772017/41 "2016-11-16T19:23:35Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Fresh ears of corn will be transported in stryrofoam cartons This is simply wrong. Our fresh sweet corn comes in flimsy little wooden crates held together by wire. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-ear-of-corn-cost-so-much-at-the-grocery-store-or-farmers-market/772017/42 "2016-11-16T21:11:20Z")
[notworthy]:)[/notworthy] ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-ear-of-corn-cost-so-much-at-the-grocery-store-or-farmers-market/772017/43 "2016-11-16T21:15:29Z")
😃 You were right about it looking ‘not-so-fresh’ when we get it though. At our store, we usually husk it and put 4 or 5 ears on the little Styrofoam trays and wrap it in plastic so it looks a little better. We do get some good fresh local stuff during the season though and that stuff sells like hotcakes. When that comes in, we usually stop ordering the stuff from the warehouse. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-ear-of-corn-cost-so-much-at-the-grocery-store-or-farmers-market/772017/44 "2016-11-16T21:35:58Z")
At the local Trader Joe’s they get in-season (local-ish?) corn they sell for 25 cents an ear, loose. These ears unlike at the bigger chains are more likely to have dodgy kernels, withered ends, etc. but are pretty good when bought and cooked up the same day. TJ’s also sells the styrofoam packed corn, which I typically don’t bother with. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-ear-of-corn-cost-so-much-at-the-grocery-store-or-farmers-market/772017/45 "2016-11-18T00:14:50Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > At the local Trader Joe’s they get in-season (local-ish?) corn they sell for 25 cents an ear, loose. These ears unlike at the bigger chains are more likely to have dodgy kernels, withered ends, etc. but are pretty good when bought and cooked up the same day. TJ’s also sells the styrofoam packed corn, which I typically don’t bother with. that packed-on-foam trays stuff is the stuff you cut into smallish chunks and throw into a stew or soup to add bulk and color, about all its good for. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-ear-of-corn-cost-so-much-at-the-grocery-store-or-farmers-market/772017/46 "2016-11-18T16:00:08Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I could get a dozen ears for $5 locally at roadside stands this past season. Top notch stuff too. You realize that’s over 40 cents per ear, right? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-ear-of-corn-cost-so-much-at-the-grocery-store-or-farmers-market/772017/47 "2016-11-18T16:01:37Z")
> [@Mrdeals](#): > > When we get ears of corn in at my grocery store we sell for $1 per dozen ($0.08 ear) but i’m buying them on the liquidation market. > > The thing about corn is that the ears of corn look good out on display for about 3 hours (seriously) the outside starts to dry out and look terrible, nobody will buy it no matter how cheap it is. > > So i would think a regular store needs to work in some high throwaway percentages in order to even think about coming out ahead. Then you husk the corn, package it in Styrofoam and plastic wrap, put it next to the steaks and sell it for double, assuming you have some folks sitting around not doing much of anything else (which is almost always the case). ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-ear-of-corn-cost-so-much-at-the-grocery-store-or-farmers-market/772017/48 "2016-11-18T17:06:51Z")
I suspect they charge what the consumer market will bare. 75 cents for an ear of corn, apple or orange isn’t enough to get the attention of most shoppers. It’s still cheaper than a soda. The profit on produce is probably high. But spoilage has to be factored in too. Farmers buy in bulk. They buy cheaper feed corn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-an-ear-of-corn-cost-so-much-at-the-grocery-store-or-farmers-market/772017.md?page=2)