Syracuse, NY -- The old saying for corn is “knee high by the Fourth of July.” But this year, Rodgers and Hammerstein lyrics from “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” are more apropos, with Central New York sporting corn as “high as an elephant’s eye, An’ it looks like it’s climbin’ clear up in the sky.” The warmth of April,...
View full sizeAndy Reeves, of Reeves Farm, shows off an ear of sweet corn from one of his corn fields near Route 370 in Lysander on Wednesday. The sweet corn is popular because it doesnât need to be cooked or seasoned. The corn is sent to local grocery stores the same day it's picked. Syracuse, NY -- The old saying for corn is “knee high by the Fourth of July.” But this year, Rodgers and Hammerstein lyrics from “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” are more apropos, with Central New York sporting corn as “high as an elephant’s eye, An’ it looks like it’s climbin’ clear up in the sky.”
The warmth of April, June and July and an adequate amount of rain has helped the first harvest of sweet corn crop occur up to two weeks early in many parts of New York state, said Jessica Ziehm of the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.
In Central New York, locally grown sweet corn already has arrived at stores such as Wegmans, Price Chopper, P&C and Nichols in Liverpool, and at local farm stands and farmers markets. “We’re about four or so days ahead of schedule,” said Brian Reeves, a Lysander farmer who supplies corn to many local stores and sells at his farm stand on Route 370. “We’re selling 300 to 1,000 cases a day.”
Reeves said he actually picked his first corn July 1 — an early variety that has a much shorter ear. Now he is picking what he called “a medium-sized ear” compared with what will come a bit later in the season.
But that taste? Oh the taste, he said. “It’s great. It’s the sweet bi-color. Great quality,” he said. Prices are about the same as last year, Reeves said.
It could be said that sweet corn is a true indicator of summer. Picnics and barbecues throughout Central New York may differ on the type of meat on the menu, but a big platter of gorgeous yellow ears is a common sight.
In Madison County, Eaton vegetable farmer Terry Mosher began picking sweet corn Saturday. “The quality is excellent,” he said. “I was able to irrigate early, so it came in about five days early.”
“With the heat we’ve been having, more people are going to have sweet corn soon,” said Dan Welch, of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County. “It’s coming along pretty good.”
Contact Debra J. Groom at dgroom@syracuse.com, 470-3254 or 251-5586.