"Our first harvest of conventional sweet corn from the Coachella Valley came in as planned in advance of the Memorial Day weekend," said Pete Aiello, Uesugi Farms General Manager. "We've now moved our operations to Brentwood, an area well known among sweet corn retailers and consumers, and are expecting great conditions for corn this season."
After bringing in the Brentwood crop, Uesugi will shift to acreage in Gilroy to continue its harvesting cycle well into the fall. "We've been in this business a long time and are fortunate to have access to fertile fields in a variety of growing regions, which allows us to be productive throughout the year with many of our crops," said Aiello.
Pest control challenge
New to Uesugi's offerings this year will be organic sweet corn. Conveniently cut and provided in value-added four-ear packages, it is expected to be welcomed by consumers eager for more organic options. "There is tremendous demand for organic sweet corn, but pest control has been a challenge for growers. We've developed the organic practices that enable us to get strong yields and are working with many top retailers to help them meet that demand," added Aiello. "We see great potential for this product and are actively working on developing a year-round program to ensure a consistent, high-quality supply."
The first crop of Uesugi Farms organic sweet corn, in both white and yellow varieties, is being harvested now in Wasco, CA. As the season progresses, more organic sweet corn will be pulled from acreage in Northern California, the Coachella Valley and ultimately Mexico to provide near year-round supply.
