CAMP HILL — Locally grown sweet corn will be available at farm markets in some regions of Pennsylvania, while harvest in northern regions of the state will be delayed.
An informal survey conducted by Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) found that expected harvest times for corn on the cob vary by region. However, some farmers were able to move up harvest through planting strategies such as planting under plastic and planting earlier in the season. As a consensus, local sweet corn will be more widely available for this upcoming weekend in the south central and southeast part of the state, while northern and western regions of Pennsylvania will have their harvest slightly later in the season due to traditionally cooler temperatures.
“We want all Pennsylvanians to know that local farmers are ready to provide you with fresh food this Fourth of July and throughout the summer,” PFB President Rick Ebert said. “While some farms may not have sweet corn in time for the holiday weekend, they will have many other nutritious seasonal produce items available now. Pennsylvania offers more farms that sell directly to consumers through on-farm stores, roadside stands, farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSAs) than any other state. That means Pennsylvanians have a great opportunity to support their local farmers by enjoying farm-fresh food.”
Some farmers in the central and northern part of the state surveyed by PFB said the start of the season was rough due to cold temperatures that shocked the crop. In Susquehanna County there was frost as late as early June, leading to planting dates that were later than expected. However, many farmers said they are anticipating a good yield of sweet corn.
Some farm markets and roadside stands in Pennsylvania typically do not have locally-grown sweet corn available until at least the middle of July (especially farms located in the northern part of the state), but they may have corn available to sell from other parts of Pennsylvania.
PFB specifically heard from farmers in Adams, Butler, Cambria, Centre, Lancaster, Lehigh, Susquehanna and Warren counties.
Pennsylvanians can find farms selling directly to the public through resources such as Penn State Extension’s Farm Market Finder (https://extension.psu.edu/farm-market-finder).
