Sweet, Ground Corn Slow To Grow Around The State

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The Minnesota State Fair is just weeks away and the most popular food is not in great supply.

It's just been in the past few weeks that local corn is being sold at places like the Minneapolis Farmers market. That's at least two weeks later than normal.

Because of the cold and rain, farmers around the state have had to wait to plant sweet corn and ground corn.

Jerry Untiedt's vegeatable farm supplies the roasted/buttered corn at the Minneapolis Farmers Market.

" I've been doing this 44 years and really, to be honest with you, this is probably the latest year we've ever had," Untiedt said. "We had a lot of precipitation, we had a lot of cold, we had some late snows. All these things affect how we get into rhythm.  I'm not sure we ever really got into rhythm this year."

Like many a Minnesota farmer, Untiedt's Waverly crops were quite low in mid-June.

Instead of planting every three days, he had to wait 10, a big deal since he sells the most famous corn around at the state fair.

"We're planting back in May to try and hit a window in August or September and it's difficult. It's like shooting at a moving target," he said.

The Minnesota Corn Growers Association says sweet corn and ground corn has taken a major hit, but the drier July has helped.

"Perhaps we're not going to have the very, very best corn we've had. It's just going to be the second best corn, ok," Untiedt said.

Untiedt says he thinks the corn for the fair will be OK. But experts around the state agree it was a tough year.