Line it up, Iowans, it is sweet corn season. Many local producers harvested their sweet corn for the Fourth of July.
The Des Moines Register spoke with local sweet corn farmers and Iowa State University Extension about the condition of the corn ahead of the holiday.
So here is what you can expect from your sweet corn and where you can find it around the metro.
How has the weather impacted sweet corn in Iowa ahead of the Fourth of July?
Inconsistent weather conditions across the state this spring will mean a more limited supply of sweet corn for the Fourth of July, said Dan Fillius, a field specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, who surveys growers.
The growing season has been generally warm, but the second half of May was cooler than average. Corn growth fell slightly behind during this time, but June had a heat wave. The overnight heat, plus some rainfall, gave it a spurt, Fillius said.
The “second half of May was cool, so that got us sort of behind and we’re trying to catch up now,” Fillius said. “These plants are growing fast, but there is only so fast they can grow. Thankfully, we have had a lot of moisture.”
In June, 4.4 inches of rain fell over Des Moines and May saw 5.3 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Corn needs heavy moisture to pollinate. That should bode well for crops over the summer, Fillius said.
“Expect that this year people are going to see corn half a week to a week later, as far as being widely abundant,” Fillius said.
Iowa sweet corn may have more corn earworms
One drawback to the moisture is corn earworms. While they won’t be as prevalent last year when Iowa saw drought-busting rainfall, but Fillius said people should be prepared to possibly find a worm or two in their sweet corn. It can be common with early-season planting.
Corn planted early in the season doesn’t do as good of a job at killing the earworms and a wet season can make it difficult for farmers to apply pesticides for those early crops.
“There is a very short window when you can control that thing,” Fillius said.
Once a moth lays an egg on the corn silk and it hatches, the worm burrows down into the ear of the corn. At that point, it is unlikely to prevent the pest from damaging the corn.
“It’s a difficult job and if a customer is judging one worm in an ear as failure, I just think that is unfair and we need to be realistic about what is achievable,” Fillius said. “I definitely wish there was a little more forgiveness on the customer side for worms and corn.”
If you find an earworm in your sweet corn, Fillius suggests just cutting that part off and consuming the untouched part.
Here is where you can get sweet corn for the Fourth of July in 2025.
Deardorff Sweetcorn
Picking will start on Friday, July 4, for Deardorff Sweetcorn, making it available for purchase at roadside stands by mid to late morning.
The locally sourced sweet corn will make it to local Hy-Vee, Fareway, Price Chopper, Cash Saver and Gateway Market stores by Monday, July 7, owner Matt Deardorff told the Register on July 1.
Where: 20681 290th St., Adel
Here are some of the Deardorff Sweetcorn sourced stands:
Hilltop Farms
Sweetcorn is ready for sale at Hilltop Farms and will be available for the holiday. The farm is already selling sweet corn at the Waukee corn truck at the VisionBank parking lot. The corn truck is closed Sundays, along with the farm.
Where:
Penick’s Sweetcorn
Penick’s Sweetcorn won’t be able to have sweet corn by the Fourth of July. The cooler May and early June resulted in a delay for Penick’s because they don’t plant under plastic coverage. This resulted in cooler-than-normal soil delaying the farm’s sweet corn growth.
Penick’s hopes to have sweet corn around July 7.
Grimes Sweetcorn
Grimes Sweetcorn has corn for the Fourth of July and could possibly have it out as early as July 3. The local produce farm has a Facebook Page where it posts regular updates that people can follow to find updates. The majority of retail stores are around the metro and the suburbs.
Home Farm: 9780 NW 121st St., Granger
Other stands include:
Do Hy-Vee, Fareway have Iowa sweet corn?
Fareway stores will vary on whether they will have local sweet corn. The Des Moines store on Fleur Drive plans to get locally sourced sweet corn after the holiday.
Hy-Vee’s sweet corn may not be locally sourced. The West Des Moines-based grocer expected local farmers to start supplying local sweet corn by July 10, a spokesperson from Hy-Vee told the Register in an email.
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Will Iowans have sweet corn for the Fourth of July? Here’s what local farmers said.
Reporting by Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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