Central Iowa skies might be a little quieter, a little darker this July 4, with fewer public fireworks shows, concerts and large family gatherings.
There is good news, though.
There is sweet corn.
A few central Iowa farmers will have sweet corn ready to sell at roadside stands by the end of this week.
Matt Deardorff of Deardorff Sweet Corn said his family's farm decided Monday that the Corn Shack in Adel on the east side of Highway 169, just south of the bike trail, will have sweet corn Thursday.
The farm will also get sweet corn to street vendors in Ankeny, Johnston and West Des Moines by the end of the week. Grocery stores that the farm supplies in metro Des Moines, including several Hy-Vees and a few Fareways, should get sweet corn just after the holiday weekend.
The Fourth of July is one of the biggest-selling weekends, along with Labor Day, Deardorff said. He doesn't expect sales to be lower this year, even with the coronavirus pandemic.
"That’s really big for our business to be able to have it by Fourth of July," he said. "That helps tremendously with sales and it gives people something to look forward to."
Sweet corn season is the unofficial sign that summer has begun, Deardorff said. The farm tries to have sweet corn each year by July 4, but it isn't promised. Last year, he and several other vendors were unable to sell sweet corn until the following week.
Mike Penick, owner of Penick Sweet Corn, said he won't be ready to sell sweet corn by the Fourth, but it won't be long after, either. He estimates his stand on Highway 65/69 will have sweet corn to sell by July 12. The stand will be a drive-through operation because of the pandemic.
"We're going to be a little short on the early corn, it looks like," he said.
Penick Sweet Corn has had sweet corn in time for the Fourth about half the time, Penick said. The crop's success and timeliness depend on the weather, and this year's harvest was held back by cold weather in the middle of spring, he said.
Penick also typically sells his corn at the Des Moines Farmers Market, which is selling products only through an online marketplace. Customers can order the corn through dsmpartnership.com in the next few weeks.
Michelle Christenson, who owns Grimes Sweet Corn with her husband, Ray, said most of their farm's stands will have sweet corn by the end of this week. She said when Christenson Farms is able to have sweet corn by July 4, which is also about 50% of the time, "it's the best."
"The Fourth is the holy grail," she said.
A harvest in time for the Fourth of July weekend is also good for business, Christenson said. The holiday is closely followed by Labor Day in terms of profits.
She credits early planting, around the first week of April, for the sweet corn being ready for the Fourth. She was among those farmers who worried that the cold weather in May would prevent the holiday arrival of sweet corn, but she said the crop survived.
Despite the pandemic, she expects people will still visit the stands to get sweet corn for outdoor gatherings such as barbecues and picnics. Grimes Sweet Corn stands will have signs encouraging social distancing in lines and will have hand sanitizer available.
"(Sweet corn) is the rite of passage in Iowa," she said. "It's a tradition people look forward to."
Christenson Farms has more than a dozen Grimes Sweet Corn stands throughout the metro area. A full list of stand locations can be found at grimessweetcorn.com.
Sarah LeBlanc covers trending news for the Register. Reach her at 515-284-8161 or sleblanc@registermedia.com.
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Several central Iowa stands will have sweet corn for the Fourth of July weekend - Des Moines Register
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