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Sweet corn planted, but yields could be lower

Locally grown sweet corn should still taste delicious, but delays in the process mean there may not be much of it.

TOLEDO, Ohio — Northwest Ohio has now seen three straight day of warm, sunny and breezy weather. 

You'd think that would be enough to dry out fields for area farmers to get back to planting crops on Sunday. However, that's not the case.

"A dry year will scare you to death. A wet year will starve you to death,"  Toledo sweet corn farmer Jim Fall said.

He has 60 acres to grow in south Toledo.

Fall got in his first planting on April 13. He's uncertain of when he can plant his next round of sweet corn in the soggy fields.

At best, Fall expects a 75% harvest.

"Hopefully the corn should taste alright, but there's not going to be much of it. It's going to be spotty and we can't pick it with a machine; a lot of hand-picked because some are tall and others a week behind."

They won't be exactly knee high by the Fourth of July.

Additionally, he is falling behind schedule to get his two other cash crops: winter squash and pumpkins.

Fall has crop insurance, but still expects to end the year operating in the red.

"It's true. If you don't have anything to sell there's no money coming in," he said.

Fall said you can expect to see locally grown sweet corn hitting stores, stands and farmers markets by late July.

 It will cost a bit more, but will still be delicious.

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