A system for processing freshly picked ears of sweet corn in the field. In the preferred embodiment, a portable, towable processing machine having an on-board hydraulic power system includes a hopper for receiving whole ears, a husking bed for removing the husks, a bucket elevator for raising the husked ears to an upper level, a plurality of kernel cutting machines for cutting kernels from the ears, scalping beds for separating cut kernels from cutting debris, and a hopper for receiving and storing the cut corn and for delivering it to another vehicle or receptacle. The ears and kernels are moved through the machine by an integrated system of conveyors and bucket elevators. The conveyors and the cutting machines are so arranged that a stream of ears is recirculated past entrances to the machines, which are arranged in parallel flow so that any ear may be presented for kernel removal to any cutting machine. Ears enter the first available cutting machine they encounter. Preferably, the processing machine is towed by a self- propelled, multiple-row corn harvesting head which expels picked whole ears directly into the processing machine. An advantage over singulated harvesting/processing machines is that the number of kernel cutters can be greater than the number of row pickers supplying them, allowing more rapid harvesting of corn ears since the maximum harvesting rate is equal to the combined maximum cutting rate of all the kernel cutting machines. Preferably, the machine is sufficiently compact to be trailered on a standard flatbed trailer over roads and highways without need for oversize or overweight permits or special routings.
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