What to know about this year's Olathe sweet corn crop

• The corn earworm that ruined last year's harvest is back and so is the sap beetle.

What they're saying: "We haven't solved the problem completely. We think we're making progress," Harold says.

By the numbers: Harold says he planted about 60% of normal this year because of the unknowns about the pests. "I lost enough money last year. I don't need to keep doing it," he explains.

Between the rows: Working with researchers at Colorado State University, Olathe growers experimented with drones to apply insecticides this year and spent early months looking for eggs on the corn silk, the Colorado Sun reports.

The bottom line: The corn this year is "excellent," Harold says, and the crop is starting to arrive on the Front Range at grocery stores and farm stands.