Homegrown: Sweet corn season

I'm going to try to check at tonight's Farmers Market in Greene Square Park in Cedar Rapids (it runs 4-6 p.m.) but if you're in Washington, Iowa, it sounds like sweet corn is a certainty at the market there tonight. Also, an update from Callie Wetjen-Wiebold, who posted on Homegrown's Facebook page that sweet corn will be available at the Williamsburg Farmers Market from 4-6 p.m. Friday.

Bob Shepherd of the Washington Farmers' Market sent the following:

   The Washington Farmers' Market has been steadily increasing the produce available in this less than ideal spring weather, much of the different desireable fruits and vegetables have been 2 to 3 weeks later to ripen then in past seasons.

   I am pleased to relate that truly local grown sweet corn will be at tonight's market. I was given an ear of this new early variety, Wednesday. Unlike older early varieties, the kernels were large, fat and juicy. It's a bi-color with extra sweet genes, giving it a longer shelf life (as if the first sweet corn won't be on the table post haste).

   What a great addition to the cucumbers, zucchini, kohlrabi, green bean, onion, new potato, beet, turnip list of available produce. The very first tomato offering may be there tonight as well.

   Fruit is always a welcome addition; raspberries are now available and a local grower contacted me to advise he'd be bringing fresh picked blueberries from his farm. The acidic soil necessary for blueberry plant growth is rare in Washington County but a few pockets do exist, he has one of these unusual pockets and his bushes are over head high.

   An additional point of interest; The Suzuki Strings will play at 6:30 on the band stand (Thursday Night Live), this group of young violinists are wonderful entertainment and Gwen always has them primed for the performance.

   Looks like another great Thursday evening in the shade of the lofty trees in downtown Central Park, Washington, Iowa. See you there!