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Taber corn producer avoids hail damage, almost ready for sales

Click to play video: 'Taber corn producers prepare to hit Alberta stands'
Taber corn producers prepare to hit Alberta stands
A southern Alberta summer staple is almost ready to hit the market. Taber corn producers say while things are slightly behind and costs have gone up, they hope to be selling cobs in the near future. Eloise Therien has the details. – Jul 20, 2022

Taber corn, a southern Alberta dinner table staple that’s sold at stands across the province each summer, is getting ready for another season of sales.

Despite a storm that caused hail damage in parts of southern Alberta on Monday, Johnson Fresh Farms managed to emerge unscathed.

“Luckily for us, this time it missed all of our crops,” said co-owner and operator James Johnson. “Our hearts go out to all the farms in the area that were affected or the people.”

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One thing, however, that Johnson said has affected their season is rising operational costs.

“Our fuel costs are three times what it was (three years ago),” he explained. “It’s not very fun right now, you know the bills keep getting bigger and so… we have to raise our prices to stay, I guess in business.”

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While the cooler spring temperatures and drier ground going into the growing season had a small impact on the corn, Johnson Fresh Farms is planning for a return to sales in the near future.

According to its website, it has more than 60 stands through Alberta, from as far south as Cardston and as far north as Morinville.

“We’re a little later start than we normally are, but we’re still thinking around that first week in August, give or take.”

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