Farmer's produce can stop traffic

EDWARD C. FENNELL
The Post and Courier

Walking away from Charpia's produce stand with four dozen ears of corn is William Nelson of Summerville, who's been faithfully buying produce from the farmer since 1986.

EDWARD C. FENNELL
The Post and Courier

What once was a full load of freshly picked corn grows empty as the last of George Charpia's produce is sold on a Wednesday morning.

EDWARD C. FENNELL
The Post and Courier

Edward Tracy of Summerville leaves George Charpia's produce stand with several dozen ears of corn he says are the best-tasting you can find. "Mine never seem to turn out like this," Tracy said.

EDWARD C. FENNELL
The Post and Courier

A sign in the shade beside George Charpia’s produce stand in Summerville.

Among the many who parked and waited for up to an hour on a recent morning just to buy some of George Charpia's freshly grown Dorchester County corn was a man who would not give his name.

"I sneaked away from work," the man confided while the queue was forming beside Boone Hill Road. "It's really as good a corn as you'll ever get," he said, explaining what made him place Charpia's golden kernels above his job.

"A lot of times, there'll be cars lined up down the road as far as you can see," the man continued. "It doesn't last long," he said of the heavily craved corn. "Twenty or 30 minutes and it's gone ..."

Others noted the crush sometimes brings Boone Hill traffic to a complete stop. "He (Charpia) is here till he runs out. Sometimes that's not long," Thomas Patrick said. "Sometimes he has to ration it, so many people come out here."

A few minutes later, Charpia pulled up driving a pickup truck towing a flatbed loaded with bags, each containing a dozen ears of corn. Men and women stared at the passing flatbed, in silence, as the precious yellow vegetable passed them so closely they could almost taste it.

In the dust kicked up by the truck a line of people formed at a table where Charpia, his wife, aunt and a young cousin sold corn they picked just hours earlier. On this morning, Charpia offered corn and cantaloupe. One buyer bought 17 dozen ears of corn to supply his family and a few friends.

Charpia, 62, and retired from Lockheed Martin Corp., is a lifelong Summerville area farmer who grows and sells corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupe and watermelon. His produce comes from Charpia Farms, just two miles from where it's marketed at a rental booth beside Boone Hill Road.

He's been marketing his products for about 30 years, and said it's the freshness that makes them so desirable.

The legendary Charpia corn is generally available in early June through July 4. "After that, it gets too hot and people's minds are on other things," he said. He estimated the biggest crowd that has turned out for his corn was about 250 people.

"We pick it every morning to try to have it fresh. At 6:30 (a.m.) we start picking. The weather doesn't make any difference," he said.

Charpia said he doesn't sell to grocery stores because they "are more interested in dealing with big brokers and warehouses than me. Most stores don't want to mess with a small farmer."

He said he and his family are consumers of Charpia Farms products, too. "If you don't eat it, you won't know if it's what people want. It's pretty good corn," he conceded.

It's lots better than "pretty good," insist many longtime Charpia corn devotees.

"It's the best corn you'll ever get. It's worth standing in line for. Last week, they were lined up as far as the eye could see, both sides of the road," Betty Ernst said. She added, "My dad usually comes. He's 90."

"It's the best corn and I know it is local," said Romie Simmons, a Summerville barber for more than 50 years. "My wife makes me come here a couple of times a week, and we eat corn every night," he added.

Gerhard Karwinski, a relatively new convert to Charpia corn, said he was working with Dorchester Habitat for Humanity when he heard another worker raving about the corn. "I'm coming for the corn, and he may have something else I like," Karwinski said.

Ray Hanna, a retired police officer who drove off with 204 ears of corn, said he bought for his family and for three friends' families. He said he's known Charpia since they were in the third grade together, and he always believed Charpia was destined to be a great farmer.

"He got it in his blood and can't quit," Hanna said.

"I've been coming here since George has been coming here," said Jim Motts of Summerville. "We go to church together, and he's a good man all the way around. He's got good products and everybody loves George," he added.

Visit Charpia Farms Web site at www.charpiafarms.com/index.html or call 873-9645.

Reach Edward C. Fennelll at efennell@postandcourier.com or 745-5865.