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On a warm August evening, Bob Buker slowly padded down the dirt road bisecting his field of Illinois super sweet corn.

“Here’s your all-terrain vehicle,” Clyde Christensen said as he handed Buker his walker.

The 89-year-old quickly abandoned it to stand among the stalks, examining the corn people picked and doling out agricultural knowledge to anyone who would lend an ear: Did you know that each kernel has its own corn silk? That there are male and female parts to each plant? Or that dark brown silks signal an ear of corn is ready for picking?

“That one right there is ready to go,” he said to a volunteer.

Every year, Buker donates the bulk of his corn to the Clark County Food Bank. Last year, that amounted to 7 1/2 tons and this season’s yield promises to be even bigger. But with each harvest, Buker grows older. Health issues have forced him to scale back his role, and the future of his farm is uncertain.

The historic farm located on Alki Road is in a hidden hollow just west of Hazel Dell Avenue. It’s been in the Buker family since 1883 and Bob Buker, who has a doctorate in agronomy, is its longtime owner and caretaker. He was born in the original farmhouse. The land has shrunk considerably over the years to make way for the Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway trail. Occasionally, bicyclists and runners turned their heads to ogle at the corn-picking operation underway.

Friends and neighbors visit the 10-acre farm in Vancouver several times each summer to harvest corn. Newcomers are shown the ropes. Grab the stalk with one hand and quickly pull down the ear with the other hand until it breaks off with a satisfying crunch. That’s how you pick corn.