The old saying "Knee high by the 4th of July" is not one that rings true when it comes to corn here in the Quad Cities. Although it could use some more irrigation, much of it is already tasseling and it's closer to eight feet tall.
When the corn grows that high, it creates an obstructed view, and drivers need to take extra precaution.
"You take for granted somebody's not coming along that road and all of a sudden you hit them," said local farmer Robb Ewoldt. Ewoldt travels the rural, gravel roads on a daily basis but even he's had to slam on his brakes a time or two.
"I've had a few close calls," he said. "If you're on these rural roads, some people become complacent because they know there's not a lot of traffic on those roads."
But you can already see the bright yellow tassels waving proudly on top of each stalk. Which means soon, there will be a lot of traffic on rural roads.
"There's a lot of detasseling going on right now," Ewoldt said. "So, you'll see some school buses hauling the workers around from farm to farm."
So, until September harvest, rural drivers need to slow it down.
"You roll your window down and you listen and you just ease out, try to look both ways and make sure nobody is coming. Just like we were taught when we were children and crossing the road."
