A-maize-ing! Taber corn available earlier than ever before due to hot Alberta summer

Taber corn kicks off in earliest start recorded Some crops thrive in the dry, hot conditions we're experiencing, including Taber corn, which is on sale for its earliest start on record.

The scorching hot weather in southern Alberta may be negatively impacting some crops, but for others, it's helping them thrive.

James Johnson, co-owner of Johnson Fresh Farms near Barnwell, Alta., says the heat has allowed them to set up stands selling their sweet Taber corn earlier than ever before.

"We're about a week ahead," he said. "We beat our other farm record by a day, so we're excited."

The family has been growing corn for more than 80 years.

Johnson says though temperatures sped up the growing season throughout May and June, this season hasn't been the smoothest.

"It's actually quite remarkable that we're able to have an early start because we kind of had a wet, late spring," Johnson added. "We got planting just a little later than we normally like."

Johnson says peaches and cream corn cobs grow fast and are smaller and sweeter in taste.

"In a couple more weeks, we'll have some bigger, juicer corn that comes on," he added.

It's not just corn that thrives in arid temperatures, sugar beets are another staple in southern Alberta and growers say the hot conditions are ideal.

"Sugar beets are a crop that really like the heat, and this year, the really warm May that we had really benefitted," said Cory Vanden Elzen, vice-president of the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers.

"I think, like many of the crops in southern Alberta, the beets are probably seven to 10 days ahead of where we'd expect them to be."

Around 200 sugar beet farms supply the Rogers Refinery in Taber, Alta., with near 840,000 tonnes of sugar beets each year.

Vanden Elzen says as long as irrigation and water is running, the beets will keep growing no matter the heat, with harvest planned for the end of September.

"Hot through July is really good," Vanden Elzen said. "If we can stay hot, between 29 and 32 C, that's ideal, and then into August as well. Hot days are good, cooler nights are also good."

Cypress County, Vulcan County and Foothills County have all declared agricultural disasters this season as a result of the drought-like conditions.

Johnson says although corn is up for sale, they aren't out of the woods yet.

"If we keep getting all this heat it'll shorten our season, obviously, it'll make all our corn mature faster," Johnson said. "So, instead of us making it to the end of September, we may only make it to the beginning of September, and then everything's already too ripe."

Johnson Fresh Farms' corn stands opened throughout southern Alberta on Thursday, with corn set to be available in Calgary and Edmonton on Friday.