Iowa’s corn and soybean crops appear headed for bumper harvests despite some areas of the state still seeing dry conditions. Sweet corn growers who are already selling their crop are indicators of the favorable growing conditions for most of the state.
Dean Rebal grows sweet corn near Solon and anticipates harvesting between 7 and 10,000 dozen ears this season. “Excellent, probably one of the best years I’ve seen in a long time. think the cool weather had a lot to do with it and the moisture we had earlier,” Rebal says. “Yield-wise and quality-wise, it’s probably been some of the best sweet corn I’ve picked here in probably the last 30-years.”
Rebal says dry conditions resulting from rain showers skirting east-central Iowa since June are beginning to affect his sweet corn. He anticipates closing his road-side sales stand for the year later this week.