Virginia consumers can expect ample sweet corn supplies for Labor Day weekend cookouts.
“The industry is reporting that fresh sweet corn supplies will be more than sufficient to meet consumer demand through the Labor Day holiday,” said Tony Banks, a commodity marketing specialist for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.
Ample rainfall this summer has been good for corn. “There has been adequate rainfall to support production, and that should translate into a good crop overall,” Banks said. “At the same time, there may be some farms that experience too much rain in some localities, which could affect locally grown supplies.”
John Liskey, who grows 20 acres of sweet corn in Rockingham County, said he’s had a good season. “There have been a few dry spots. We had some flooded streams in June and two weeks where it was just too wet. But overall, it’s been very good,” Liskey said.
He added that he’s spent less on irrigation this year. “I’ve done very little irrigation because of the rain, and that’s good when you don’t have to spend money on that.”
Overall, he said, “I’ve had some better crops in the past, but I’ve had a very good crop this year.”
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