Knee high by the fourth of July? Try harvested and ready to buy.
Summit County Farm Bureau President Pete Schanz says he and the farmers he represents are counting their blessings for the mix of warmer temperatures and adequate rain they've received.
"Things are way ahead of normal for the season and we've been blessed with some really good weather this year," Schanz said.
Schanz says corn crops have already grown anywhere from four to eight inches tall in the county as of this week.
Customers who flock to Szalay's Sweet Corn Farm off of Riverview Road in Peninsula, can expect to select the ears of their choice off the back of a truck sooner than in seasons past.
"This year has just been almost like perfect, we expect to have corn probably for the first week of July, hopefully for the fourth of July weekend," Paula Szalay said, family owner.
Szalay's opens Friday, kicking off its season through Halloween. Tucked in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, it saw its share of puddles last year.
"We like a little drier season, because we have river-bottom soil," she said. "So we don't want our rain and everybody's runoff."
To date, that's not been the case, as Szalay admits they took advantage of Mother Nature's warmer personality this year and planted extra corn just in case.
"We'll have plenty for everybody," Szalay said.
Prices for the traditional sweet corn staple will stay in line with the 2011 season.
The family-owned and operated farm is no stranger to busy crowds boasting a variety of outdoor stands with treats like traditional roasted sweet corn covered in mouth-watering butter by choice, sandwiches and fresh-squeezed lemonade.
This year, Szalay says they'll offer more on the menu including pork loin sandwiches and southern-style sweet tea.
But if you'd fancy a treat, Szalay describes that their fresh-fruit ice cream sundaes are "wonderful".
On the web: Summit County Farmer's Bureau
