Surprising Growth

I don’t know quite how to express this without sounding . . . well . . . corny. Sorry, but there’s just no other way to say it.

We have a corn stalk growing in our parking lot. I don’t know where it came from, but it grew in a little crack, right in front of our main door, and it’s not only surviving - it’s bearing fruit. Two beautiful ears of corn.

I can’t help but see this as an analogy to our little store.

We’re kind of all alone out here; some would even say out of place in midwestern Kansas. The environment is often hostile to small business, and the winds of competition threaten to do us harm.

Yet we’re tougher than we look. What’s more, we know we’ve got it right. Before the concrete, there were fields - and sustainable agriculture, healthy food, and small businesses that were the lifeblood of every community.

There’s a saying: grow where you’re planted. To me it’s not about accepting fate; it’s about perseverence; strength. And together we can continue to grow, surprisingly, amazingly, right here in Manhattan, KS.