Manitowoc, WI – July 2026
“Knee-high by the Fourth of July.” For generations, this simple phrase has marked an important milestone in the growing season, a sign that the corn is on track and the year’s harvest is taking shape. It is a benchmark passed down through farm families, a bit of folk wisdom that ties one summer to the next and connects growers across the country to a shared rhythm of work and patience.
This year, that familiar saying carries even more meaning. As the nation marks 250 years of American independence, the Fourth of July becomes a moment to reflect on more than a single growing season. It is a chance to honor two and a half centuries of progress and to recognize the farmers, growers, and communities who have cultivated the crops that feed families across America.
Strong Roots and a Bright Future
Lakeside Foods knows something about putting down roots and watching them grow over time. The company was founded in 1887 by Albert Landrith as a small pea cannery in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Michigan, and it still operates in the city where it all began
. What started as one modest operation has grown into a family-owned company with 15 production facilities and eight distribution centers across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, and Oregon.
As the company puts it, Lakeside Foods has strong roots and a bright future. Through generations of growth, the heart of the business has stayed the same.
It begins in the field, with high-quality crops grown with care: sweet corn, green beans, carrots, beets, peas, and more. These are the vegetables that fill freezers and pantries, round out family dinners, and show up at backyard cookouts all summer long. From the fields where the crops begin to the tables where they are enjoyed, Lakeside Foods has remained committed to quality at every step, with food safety and nutrition treated as paramount.
A Season of Celebration
There is a reason the Fourth of July and USA-grown veggies go hand in hand. Summer is when the work of the growing season starts to show its reward, and few things capture that better than sweet corn at its peak. It is the season of grilling, gathering, and good food shared in good company. As the country celebrates this milestone anniversary, those simple pleasures feel all the more worth honoring.
For Lakeside Foods, this celebration is also a thank-you. It is a thank-you to the growers who plant and tend the fields season after season, to the communities that support American agriculture, and to the families who make a place for these crops at their tables. As a family-owned company, Lakeside Foods takes pride in providing wholesome foods that enrich people’s lives, and in supporting the communities it calls home along the way.
Looking Ahead to 250 More
As America reflects on 250 years of independence, Lakeside Foods is proud to be part of the larger story of American agriculture, a story still being written in fields across the country. The corn may be knee-high today, but like the nation it helps to feed, it is always reaching higher.
To learn more about who we are and the work we do, watch our story: About Lakeside Foods video.
Happy Fourth of July from all of us at Lakeside Foods.