Justin’s Corn Stand wraps up another season, raises $1,351 for Operation Smile

Justin Malott stands in front of his corn stand on Vivian Line in Stratford after raising $1,351 for Operation Smile Canada during the final weekend of his summer season.

Justin’s Corn Stand on Vivian Line in Stratford has become a summer staple for families looking for fresh, local produce, especially sweet corn and peaches.

This year, the roadside stand wrapped up another successful season after raising $1,351 for Operation Smile Canada. The funds came from corn sales on the final weekend, a tradition owner Justin Malott has continued since 2020.

“I donate all the corn proceeds on the final weekend of the season,” Malott said. “Since 2020, I’ve raised more than $15,000 in total for Operation Smile.”

Operation Smile is a non-profit organization that provides cleft lip and palate surgeries in countries where access to safe surgery is limited.

“As a kid, I grew up watching Operation Smile television shows and I was really impacted by that,” Malott said. “I remember thinking if that happened to me, how hard it would be to go through. That’s one of the reasons I started donating.”

The local teen has balanced running his stand with adventure across the world. This year, he hiked 3,000 kilometres through New Zealand on the Te Araroa Trail. Next year, he plans to take another year off before starting university, with goals of biking across Europe and cycling through Ontario this fall.

“One of the things I definitely bring back to my life here is being active every day and being outside every day,” he said. “Being in New Zealand and outdoors every day really improved my mindset and how I think about things.”

Malott sources his corn from Wayne Herlick, a Tavistock-area farmer who has been supplying non-GMO, pesticide-free corn to Justin’s Corn Stand for more than six years – since Malott was 10 years old.

“I just want to give a big thanks to everyone who supported the stand this year and especially those who stopped by on the Operation Smile weekend,” Malott said. “I couldn’t have raised that money without your support.”

Next up for the Malott family is their annual Skeletons of Vivian Line display, which also raises money for Operation Smile.