Sweet corn “nice and sweet”

With slightly above average heat units and moisture this summer, Eastern Ontario enjoyed prime conditions for a thriving corn crop, and sweet corn was no exception.

At the Foster Family Farm in North Gower, Mel Foster reported good yields and quality in this year’s sweet corn crop. Foster, who works with his parents Greg and Shirley, said the crop featured good-sized cobs filled out to the tip with nicely coloured kernels.

“Customers have said the corn is nice and sweet,” Foster said.

The farm sells about 15 to 20 per cent of the crop direct to consumer, with the balance shipped to grocery stores. He reported good sales this year, unchanged from last year but down from 2020 when pandemic lockdown restrictions left consumers with few places they could go besides farm markets and grocery stores.

At Dentz Orchards and Berry Farm outside Iroquois, Cathy Dentz said that sweet corn sales were “steady and normal” and back to pre-pandemic levels after elevated sales in both 2020 and 2021. The Dentz operation retails its entire sweet corn crop direct to consumers.