In late summer, the Bradford Research Center hosted their annual Sweet Corn Tasting. However, this year was different from the past thanks to a special donation made by a memorable MU family.

This past year, the Meyer family made a generous donation in remembrance of their father, Marvin Meyer. Marvin passed away last fall, and due to his love for sweet corn, the family decided to direct his memorial gifts towards sweet corn research at Bradford.

“Dad was a farmer through and through,” says Meyer’s daughter, Cathy Sweany. “As far back as I can remember we had a garden and sweet corn. I really don’t remember anything but Dad’s Supersweet.”

Her parents never had an interest in “big flower arrangements or other types of memorials,” so they wanted to find a fitting donation to make in remembrance of their father. And when a sweetcorn donation was brought to their attention by a family member, it struck a chord.

Bradford Research Center Sweet Corn Tasting

The University of Missouri was an obvious choice for directing their donation, due to their family members who have and still do attend school here. Sweany received degrees in Animal Sciences and Nuclear Medicine Technology in 1982. Sweany also has two sons who are a part of the MU family. Her son, Sean, graduated from MU in 2013 with a degree in Physics and Math; her son, Mark, is currently a junior at MU, and is fulfilling a Physics degree. Sweany and her husband Bob took over her father’s farm about a year after he retired, and still manage it today. They made the trip to attend the Sweet Corn Tasting with their youngest son, and had a great time.

Lisa Thompson, executive staff assistant in the Office of Advancement, helped with planning the event, and coordinating with the Sweany family. “We really appreciated the donation from the Sweany family, and it was great to meet them at the tasting,” says Thompson.

“My favorite part was at the beginning, when the man in charge asked if anyone from the Meyer family was here as this was part of my Dad’s memorial. [It] made me tear up as I wasn’t expecting that. I had no idea we were the only ones who did anything like that,” says Sweany.

Overall, it was a great sweet corn filled day, and they were very pleased with the outcome of the event. She and her family have hopes of attending the Sweet Corn Tasting again next summer.

Bradford Research Center is a part of the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ system of outstate research centers across the state. Their annual Sweet Corn Tasting helps them decide which varieties to suggest to landowners.