Western Pa. farmers battle weather, price hikes, shortages to produce sweet corn this summer

For Rita Firestone, growing, harvesting and selling sweet corn has been an integral part of her life ever since she and her late husband started The Original Firestone’s sweet corn stand 52 years ago along Route 30 in Unity.

“I do it because I want to do it, not because I have to do it,” said Firestone, 78. “If I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t be here.”

But successfully growing sweet corn hasn’t come without its challenges this year, with fluctuating weather and the rise in fuel prices, according to local farmers.

Firestone said their sweet corn is late this year because of the weather. They like to have it by July 1, she said, but the “very cold, wet spring” prevented them from reaching that goal.

“We didn’t get it in when we would’ve liked to,” Firestone said.

With the rise in fuel prices and supply shortages, Firestone said, the price of seed has increased “a little bit,” spray is “hard to get” and fertilizer costs have gone up, as well. However, she said, they’re attempting to hold the line and keep their sweet corn price at $8 per dozen.

“They think we’re making money hand over fist,” Firestone said of some customers. “(But) when you factor out the cost of planting it, the cost of picking it, there’s not a huge margin of profit.”

This summer is the first time Firestone will sell sweet corn without her husband, who died in January. He was sick for a long time, Firestone said, and her son gradually has taken over the business.

“He always told us we were doing it wrong,” Firestone reminisced of her late husband. “But he’s not here to tell us we’re doing it wrong this year.”

Over the years, Firestone said, they grew crops at various locations and estimates they farm about 80 acres of sweet corn.

“Even when he was sick, he was out in the field working,” Firestone said. “They told him for about 10-15 years that he was dying, and he still got up and went out to the fields and worked.”

Firestone said she doesn’t normally take any days off either, selling corn at their stand seven days a week.

“I’m recognized because I’m there all the time and have been for years,” Firestone said. “I like seeing the people … and I’ve made a lot of friends just being there.”

Similar to Firestone’s adjusted planting timeline, Kistaco Farm Market’s sweet corn is not quite ready, either, according to owner Tim Hileman.

“(My) best guess would be three weeks,” said Hileman, 60. “I just couldn’t get into the fields because it was too wet … normally, I would plant it at least two weeks earlier.”

Even though Hileman didn’t have any trouble getting needed supplies, he said the market in Kiski Township will have to charge more for sweet corn.

Hileman said he’s also noticed hotter weather in June, which has caused some dryness in the soil.

“It hasn’t been awful … I haven’t irrigated anything,” Hileman said.

Ralph Myers of Myers Pickle Farm in Gilpin said his sweet corn is “getting thirsty” from the lack of rain. This June had the second lowest total of rain in the past 10 years in Pittsburgh, according to Bill Modzelewski, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh.

“Everything needs water right now,” said Myers, 85.

His corn is on schedule to be harvested at the end of July.

Neil Palmer, co-owner and manager of Palmer’s Farm in Unity, said while he knows for sure his sweet corn won’t be ready in time for the Fourth of July, harvest times will be dependent on upcoming weather.

“(The dry weather is) starting to become a problem because the crops, as they’re getting larger, they need a lot more water,” said Palmer. “We’re at a point now where we need rain pretty badly.”

Rain would help to “move things along,” and he’s hoping to open next week to sell sweet corn.

According to the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the typical timeline for farmers to sell sweet corn is mid-July through September, but, because of the popularity surrounding the Fourth of July, some begin selling earlier.

Windy Heights Farm Market in East Huntingdon has been able to sell ears of sweet corn throughout this past week thanks to a new method of planting this year.

Greg Forejt Jr. said the sweet corn was seeded in trays in a greenhouse and then transplanted and covered.

“That’s how we got it early,” said Forejt, 29. “That’s why the ear sizes are so large.”

Despite his success in the growing process, Forejt said the cost of production was significantly higher because of the rise in fuel prices and supply shortages.

He said he’s noticed the price of his fertilizer go up “almost 400%,” and, because of the increases, Windy Heights is charging $10 per dozen this year, up $2 from last year.

Palmer said he also expects the cost of his sweet corn to increase because of the same issues, though he doesn’t know by how much.

Myers agreed, saying he’s sure the price of his sweet corn will have to be higher this year because he’s paid double to grow it.

“Everything’s sky high,” Myers said. “You can’t afford to farm today.”