Paris BarrazaDes Moines Register
If you’re anything like the viral “Corn Kid,” then you can’t imagine a more beautiful thing than Iowa sweet corn.
Luckily for you, at least three Iowa corn sellers in the Des Moines metro and some Fareway stores say local sweet corn is available now or will be available by the weekend.
Most Iowa corn growers that Dan Fillius has spoken with will be picking this week. Fillius is the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulture field specialist for commercial vegetables and specialty crops.
That’s if growers haven’t already had their first pick, he said, adding that some farms in Iowa had their first corn picked on June 24.
How has the weather in Iowa affected sweet corn in 2024?
Weather in Iowa has been “agreeable” for sweet corn growing, Fillius said.
The biggest challenge has been rain. While it is good for the development of the crop, it makes harvesting difficult, he said.
That’s because people are often picking it by hand and are faced with wet, muddy conditions. Buyers should “give some grace” to growers if they come across ears not perfectly clean as a result, he said.
More: Crave some sweet corn on the grill? Here are three ways to cook sweet corn this summer.
One Iowa corn grower told Fillius that the presence of corn earworm is the earliest he’s seen in the 20 years he has grown sweet corn. Corn earworm feeds on field corn and other vegetables, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Vegetable Crop Entomology Extension and Research.
“Oftentimes this first pick can dodge corn earworm,” Fillius said. “It hasn't yet arrived.”
Varieties of sweet corn that will kill corn earworm through genetic modification typically aren’t planted first, Fillius said. Iowa corn growers that spray their crops because of the pest may not have been prepared to do so this early, he said. Successful sprays need to occur consistently over the course of a 10-day window, and growers may not have been able to access their fields with so much rain, Fillius said.
His message to corn growers?
“If you find one without a worm, congratulations, but that's not going to be as common this year in this early corn,” he said.
April brought an average of 4.5 inches of rain statewide, about an eighth to a half inch more than normal, state climatologist Justin Glisan told the Register earlier this year. As of May, Iowa received above-normal rainfall in six of the past eight months, Tim Hall, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources hydrology resources coordinator, said to the Register last month — so much so that Iowa is no longer in a drought.
Here’s where you can find Iowa sweet corn in the Des Moines metro.
Deardorff Sweet Corn
Visit Deardorff Sweet Corn stand in Adel starting July 5 for Iowa sweet corn at around 11 a.m. Matt Deardorff said the farm started planting on April 9 — start dates are determined by ground temperature, which needs to be in the 50-degree range and stay consistently warm.
Iowa’s spring saw lots of rain that he described as “challenging.” While he doesn’t know necessarily that’s affected his crops, he did see that early corn is not consistent in size. That's why he's waiting to pick on July 5.
Deardorff Sweet Corn can also be found at independent vendors in the Des Moines metro. In addition, Deardorff Sweet Corn supplies some Fareway, Hy-Vee, Cash Saver and Price Chopper locations that will have sweet corn sometime next week, Deardorff said.
Where: Near Highway 6 and Highway 169 in Adel in a gravel parking lot near Lincoln Savings Bank
When: Monday through Saturday from about 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Fareway
Fareway shoppers can expect to find some sweet corn to purchase by the Fourth of July, but that’ll largely be in stores in southeast Iowa. By the week of July 8, most Fareway stores in Iowa will have Iowa sweet corn available for purchase, said McClane Gill, marketing and corporate communications director in an email to the Des Moines Register.
Hilltop Farms
Iowans can visit Hilltop Farms in Dallas Center or visit its corn truck in Waukee for Iowa sweet corn this season, owner Luke Funk confirmed with the Des Moines Register. Hilltop Farms will be open on the Fourth of July.
Where: Hilltop Farms at 22018 T Ave., Dallas Center; Corn truck at 45 N. Warrior Lane, Waukee in the VisionBank parking lot
Farm hours:
- Monday through Wednesday: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday: Closed
Corn truck hours:
- Monday through Saturday: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
- Sunday: Closed
Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee doesn't yet have a specific date or time that Iowa sweet corn will be available in stores, spokesperson Tina Potthoff confirmed in an email.
Penick’s Sweet Corn
Mike Penick of Penick’s Sweet Corn will have Iowa sweet corn available for purchase starting July 5, right in time for the holiday weekend.
Where: Busy Bee Garden Center, 5901 Hwy 65-69, Indianola and Downtown Farmers Market in Des Moines
When: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Busy Bee Garden Center, 7 a.m. to noon at Downtown Farmers Market
Do you know a spot to purchase Iowa sweet corn in time for the July Fourth weekend that’s not on this list? Email iowaconnect@gannett.com.
Paris Barraza is a trending and general assignment reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her atpbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
