A-maize-ing: Atkins' corn crop sweet way to raise money

Ears of corn sold to community survived major hailstorms

Published: July 31, 2023

By Katie Zakrzewski
Associate Editor

Courtesy Church of the Assumption

Father Mauricio Carrasco, pastor of Church of the Assumption in Atkins, climbs onto a tractor as he prepares to plant corn on church grounds May 8.

Courtesy Church of the Assumption

Father Mauricio Carrasco, pastor of Church of the Assumption in Atkins, climbs onto a tractor as he prepares to plant corn on church grounds May 8.

It’s not every day the residents of Atkins see a priest on a tractor.

Parishioners at Church of the Assumption are working with Father Mauricio Carrasco to lower mowing costs and raise renovation funds. Parishioner Louis Schmoll, a local farmer, said Assumption has tried to keep their lawn care costs down for decades.

“We used to spend thousands a year mowing the property … now we mow it ourselves, but it’s still a drag making sure it gets done,” Schmoll said.

The lawn care costs also sapped funds needed for renovating religious education classrooms. Father Carrasco wanted to do something with the land. That’s when Schmoll suggested they plant the crop he’d been planting for sometime: corn. In early May, Schmoll brought his tractor to Father Carrasco.

“I said, ‘Father, this was your idea, so you’re going to have to do it.’ And he said, ‘I’ve always wanted to,’” Schmoll said.

In minutes, Father Carrasco was planting corn under Schmoll’s guidance. Father Carrasco’s childhood dream was to be a farmer.

“I love tractors. I’ve always been fascinated by large machinery. My dad used to farm … He came home on a tractor one day, and I would sit on it as a little kid and dream away,” Father Carrasco said. “The Lord is so good that even though he called me to the priesthood, he let me have this experience.”

Mary Corkins, parish administrative assistant, said the story of the priest on the tractor began to spread.

“It’s a small town, so people are always talking about something new,” she said. “When they started seeing the corn grow, it became the news of the town — even more so when we had major storms come through.”

“My corn to the east of town — hail beat it to nothing. We knew ours would be the same way at the church because everyone around it had major damage,” Schmoll said. “But only one stalk was harmed. A tree blew down next to the corn field, but the corn wasn’t touched. A couple of weeks later, the same thing happened. Everyone had hail damage except the church’s corn. It’s the best corn patch I know of in three counties.”

Schmoll said throughout the growing process, Father Carrasco advised the parishioners to have faith.

“Father said not to worry. We planted it, but God made it grow,” Schmoll said. “The only thing we had to do was plant it and fertilize it. The good Lord handled everything else.”

For Corkins, the corn has provided an opportunity to spread the good news.

“How many times are we reminded that God’s at work in so many ways, and we miss it because we’re doing our daily thing? This is a really big reminder. Any time people pass the church they see the corn survived,” Corkins said.

Assumption is selling the corn as they work toward their renovation goal.

“We put the word out, and people do their own picking, then they look for someone to pay. It’s all on the honor system. Put your money in an envelope, mark it ‘corn,’ and drop it in the collection basket,” Schmoll said.

The rest of the community is helping too. The International Cafe, a local eatery, collected corn on behalf of the church to sell to individuals who can’t reach the parish. Assumption has sold hundreds of ears of corn so far from their plot, which covers roughly a third of an acre, and expects to sell even more through the end of July.

At the end of August, the remaining corn will be fed to hogs for the church’s heritage festival Oct. 14. Father Carrasco hopes to plant and sell other vegetables in the future.

Father Carrasco said the corn has helped bring the community together.

“It’s a fun way of being connected — it strikes a chord in people’s hearts. There’s a connectedness with the church, your parish priest, with the land itself. I think we all yearn for that,” Father Carrasco said.

For Schmoll, the parish’s prayers are being answered.

“Father Mauricio — he’s humble. He just wants to be known as a humble pastor,” Schmoll said. “I told him not long ago about the corn, about wanting to make it perfect, and I said, ‘You’re right. God has provided — and he provided us with tall corn and a humble pastor.’”