Farmer John Greenawalt of Sewickley Township just saved his early sweet corn crop, and he’s hoping the recent hot, dry weather will move on so he can get the most from his current one.
“This corn that we just picked, it went through five frosts,” Greenawalt said. “It really wasn’t supposed to survive. But we plant ours under plastic, and then we have row covers that go over top of that. We did everything in our power to try and save it.”
Greenawalt has roughly 30 acres of sweet corn, and had to deal with yet another cold, wet spring, which delayed planting. On its heels has come the opposite situation.
“Now we have this dry weather,” he said. “I’ve never experienced it, but my grandfather has told me that the 90-degree weather we’re supposed to have for a week is all it takes to kill the corn. So we need rain bad.”
A little farther north, in Murrysville, farmer Herb Gearhard has the same concern for his 12 acres of field corn.
“It’s looking all right, but it’s dry right now,” Gearhard said.
The spring of 2020 brought nearly 3.5 inches of rain above the annual average in March and April, but was nearly 4 inches below the average for May and June.
The forecast of the National Weather Service in Moon Township is not promising. The weather service is calling for high temperatures of at least 90 degrees through next Friday, followed by an 88 degree day next Saturday. It predicts there will be no substantial rain.
“The corn is looking for water, but hopefully we’ll pull through that,” Gearhard said.
Gearhard Farms is also known for its annual corn maze, which Gearhard said will be a challenge this year due to the constantly shifting health and safety landscape amid the covid-19 pandemic.
“We’ve increased the size of the maze this year, and we’ve been having weekly meetings trying to figure out what we’re going to be dealing with with this virus.”
In northern Allegheny County, Rob Shenot at Shenot Farm in Marshall Township posted a message for followers of the farm’s Facebook page on Friday morning.
“I’ve been getting a lot of questions about when the corn’s coming in. Usually we have it by the Fourth (of July),” Shenot said. “Unfortunately I don’t think we’re going to make it this year.”
Shenot said he hopes to be harvesting his early sweet corn by Tuesday, July 7.
At Kistaco Farm Market in Kiski Township an employee said they are hoping to start harvesting some of their 8 to 10 acres of sweet corn by the third week of July, with plans to bring it to market at the end of the month.
Greenawalt, the Sewickley farmer, said he plants about 20 varieties of sweet corn over the course of the growing season.
“It’s kind of like buying tires,” he said. “You have different types for different seasons. We have some types that do better in the fall. Unfortunately, none of them take the heat and the dryness well.”
The National Weather Service in Moon Township is forecasting no rain and highs in the 90s through at least Tuesday.
A message posted to the Facebook page for Windy Heights Farm Market in East Huntingdon sums things up well.
“After the most challenging growing season in 30-plus years, beginning this Saturday we’re proud to offer our very own sweet corn,” the message posted Friday reads. “Due to a lack of rain and a surplus of high heat, corn will only be available in limited quantities, so get here early!”
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick at 724-850-2862, pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: Local | Regional | Top Stories | Valley News Dispatch | Westmoreland
July 04, 2020 at 04:27AM
https://ift.tt/31LRiwP
Wet spring, hot start to summer has corn farmers concerned - TribLIVE
https://ift.tt/3gguREe
Corn
No comments:
Post a Comment