Despite weather, labor challenges, sweet corn is still king for area farmers

Greg Forejt Jr., owner and operator of Windy Heights Farm in East Huntingdon, was determined to get an early jump on sweet corn season this year.

He and his team began in the early spring by planting about 140,000 seeds in a greenhouse on his property. As the stalks began to sprout and the earth warmed, the Windy Heights workers replanted the seedlings by hand across four acres of land.

This unconventional, time-consuming and laborious process enabled him to be ready to pick the first ears this week, just in time for July Fourth barbecues.

Gone are the days of the old farming adage “knee high by the Fourth of July.” Because when it comes to sweet corn, no growing method is too laborious for farmers trying to be the first to bring the crop to local markets.

In 2021-22, worldwide corn production of all varieties measured around 1.2 billion metric tons. That year, the U.S. was the biggest corn producer worldwide, with a production volume amounting to almost 384 million metric tons, about one-third of the global corn production. The U.S. Department of Agriculture state agriculture overview reported that corn was the No. 1 crop in Pennsylvania in 2022, producing about $1 billion in revenue.

The Department of Agriculture also reported that corn-planted area for all purposes in 2023 is estimated at 94.1 million acres, a 6 percent increase from last year. This marks the third highest planted acreage in the U.S. since 1944.

Local farmers reported a jump in business during the covid pandemic. To meet the demand this year, growers have had to battle the weather.

“(Growing) started off really challenging with the lack of rainfall,” Forejt said. “We’ve had some sufficient rainfall over the last two weeks, and the crops are looking good. There’s nothing you can really do about the lack of rainfall. You’ve just got to depend on God really to give you the rain.”

Without rain, it would take about 27 million gallons of water to cover the 1,000 acres of Windy Heights and sufficiently supply the crops.

Not only do growers have to consider rainfall, they also have temperatures to factor into the corn’s growth pattern. Sweet corn requires temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees with ample water to grow well. The recent fluctuating temperatures and the Canadian wildfire smoke present in the air have made the harvest a slow and unpredictable process.

“The corn is growing slower than usual, but looking at the forecast for the next few weeks, it looks like we’ll be picking up some heat,” Forejt said. “Hopefully everybody’s crops will be taking off.”

Forejt will be selling a dozen ears of sweet corn for $10, a rise in price compared to two years ago to compensate for the higher cost of materials that go into growing the crop. Farmers that are first to market are able to set the season price. Forejt said that corn is the most popular crop he grows.

The price of corn affects prices of a majority of products found in a grocery store, he said. The main ingredient in the diets of poultry, cows and pigs is corn, and corn syrup can be found in most processed foods. If the price of the corn fluctuates, the price of everything produced with it does as well.

“On the retail side, everyone loves sweet corn,” Forejt said. “This is always our busiest weekend at the market. We could have the nicest cauliflower, broccoli, but the first day of sweet corn — people come in droves.”

Tim Hileman, 61, owner and operator of Kistaco Farm Market in Kiski Township, said that he will set the price of the corn to match other local prices once his crop is ready to pick. Operating a farm known for its apples, Hileman is not rushing this year’s corn harvest.

“I wait until the soil is warm enough so it germinates fairly quickly,” Hileman said. “I plant a field and then I wait until it comes up out of the ground, until it germinates, and then I plant the next round. That way, we hopefully have corn coming in succession.”

When his farm market stocks corn, Hileman hopes it will bring in customers and his other crops will keep them there.

“I think the fact that we pick (sweet corn) fresh every morning really gives us an advantage over grocery stores,” Hileman said. “Ours is always fresher. There are some fruits and vegetables that are almost indistinguishable (to store-bought), but corn is not one of them.”

His farm also produces blueberries, snap peas, kale, lettuce and a medley of other produce.

Fickle weather is not the only challenge that Hileman has faced this season.

“We’ve been having issues with labor for quite some time,” he said.

Hileman attributed the lack of labor to a few variables. He said that there are other jobs that require less manual labor and come with more pay. In fall 2021, he was able to get only two-thirds of his apple crop picked because of lack of manpower. He has one full-time staff member and two part-time employees.

Despite the challenges, Hileman said he and his crew will be heading into sweet corn season at full force. He expects to be able to sell the first of his crop by late July.