Sweet Corn
Zea mays var. saccharata
Sweet corn is a warm-season annual vegetable crop well-suited to Zones 3-11, with plantings starting after soil warms to 55°F. Requires full sun, well-drained soil, and consistent moisture for pollination; typical fresh-market yields fall in the 100-115 cwt/ac range under good management.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
Overview
Growing Season
- Plant
- Mid-May to early July (bare ground) – Mid-May to early July (bare ground)
- Harvest
- Early July to September – Early July to September
- Frost-free days
- 120+
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 1,400
Yield
- Typical yield
- 105 cwt/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 1 years
- Labor
- 50 hrs/acre
Market Fit
Active Regional Buyers
Established crop with known regional buyers
Price Trend Stable/Up
Price stable over past 3 years
Supply Below Demand
Regional supply roughly balanced with demand
Multiple Buyer Channels
Multiple market channels: wholesale, retail, processing, and/or direct
Value-Added Potential
Limited value-added processing opportunities
Market Growth Projected
Stable market outlook
Market Channels
Climate Fit
Hardiness Zone Match
Region's hardiness zone within crop range (3.0-11.0)
GDD Sufficient
Regional GDD (2600) meets crop requirement (1400)
Precipitation Compatible
Regional precipitation (~40 in/yr) compatible with crop needs
Frost-Free Season OK
Frost-free season (160 days) meets crop requirement (120 days)
Chill Hours Met
Chill hour requirement N/A for this crop type or met by default
Climate Trend Favorable
Climate projections remain favorable for this crop in the region
Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Equipment Compatible
Standard farm equipment compatible or easily adapted
Storage Available
Cold storage needed; may require investment
Irrigation Compatible
Irrigation beneficial; existing vineyard irrigation systems adaptable
Field Layout Suitable
Vineyard field layouts suitable for this crop
Labor Availability
Moderate labor requirements; manageable with planning
Processing Proximity
Processing/packing facilities within viable distance in WNY
Equipment Requirements
planting
General-purpose tractor for field prep, planting, spraying, and cultivation. Can be shared across vegetable operations.
Precision planter for proper seed spacing (8-12 inches in-row) and depth (1-1.5 inches). Plate type matched to seed size. Vacuum planters provide most consistent spacing.
For primary tillage and residue incorporation. Can be custom-hired. Disc harrow or rototiller also used for seedbed preparation.
harvesting
Picking bags, bushel crates, or boxes for hand harvesting. Small-acreage sweet corn is typically hand-harvested. Mechanical harvesters ($60,000+) only justified for large-scale operations.
post_harvest
Rapid cooling after harvest is critical — sweet corn loses sugar rapidly at warm temperatures. Hydrocooling or icing preserves sweetness and shelf life.
spraying
Tractor-mounted or pull-type boom sprayer for herbicide, fungicide, and insecticide applications. High-clearance preferred for later-season applications when corn is tall.
general
For monitoring corn earworm and European corn borer moth flights. Critical for timing insecticide applications. Low cost but essential for IPM.
cultivation
For mechanical weed control between rows. Most effective when corn is 6-12 inches tall. Reduces herbicide dependency.
Storage Requirements
Fresh cold storage (shelf)
Temperature
32–32°F
Humidity
95–98%
Max Storage
5 days
Top-ice / liquid ice
Temperature
32–34°F
Humidity
95–100%
Max Storage
7 days
Modified atmosphere (10-20% CO2)
Temperature
32–34°F
Humidity
95–98%
Max Storage
10 days
Frozen (processing)
Temperature
-10–0°F
Max Storage
730 days
Fresh cold storage (hydrocooled/iced)
Temperature
32–34°F
Humidity
95–98%
Max Storage
8 days
Ambient/field heat
Temperature
70–85°F
Max Storage
1 days
Frozen (blanched)
Temperature
-10–0°F
Max Storage
365 days
Finance Fit
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue ($5,114/acre) exceeds regional average
Input Costs Acceptable
Annual operating costs ($3,500/acre) within typical farm budgets
Payback Period OK
Annual crop; returns in first season
Insurance Available
Federal crop insurance available
Revenue Per Labor Hour
Revenue per labor hour ($102) is competitive
Grants/Subsidies
No specific subsidy programs identified
Economics Breakdown
| Avg Price/Unit | $49/$/cwt (fresh market) |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $5,114 |
| Annual Operating Cost | $3,500/acre |
| Establishment Cost | $1,000/acre |
| Total Input Cost | —/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | $1,614 |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Available |
Source: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, USDA RMA, regional budget studies (2025)
Risk Fit
Manageable Pest/Disease
Significant pest/disease pressure requiring intensive management
Market Diversified
Market access diversified across multiple channels
Low Establishment Risk
Low establishment risk; quick to establish or low upfront investment
Climate Resilient
Climate-sensitive; vulnerable to late frost, variable winters
Regulatory Burden Low
Minimal regulatory burden for production and sale
Diversifies Portfolio
Diversifies farm revenue away from grape monoculture
Known Risks
pest
Major pest of sweet corn. Larvae feed on silk and developing kernels at the ear tip, causing direct damage and providing entry points for ear molds. Late-season plantings are most at risk as moth populations build. Larvae are impossible to control once inside the ear.
Larvae bore into stalks, ear shanks, and ears. Stalk boring weakens plants and can cause lodging. Ear damage reduces marketability. Two generations per year; the second generation coincides with ear development in late plantings.
disease
Bacterial disease transmitted by corn flea beetles. Causes wilting and streaking of leaves in susceptible cultivars. Severity correlates with mild winter temperatures that favor flea beetle survival. Can cause significant stand loss in susceptible sweet corn cultivars.
Fungal disease causing small, circular to elongated, reddish-brown pustules on both leaf surfaces. Spores blow in from southern regions; the fungus does not overwinter in northern climates. Can reduce ear size and quality if severe infection occurs before tasseling. Husk lesions reduce fresh-market appeal.
Fungal disease producing large, cigar-shaped, grayish-green lesions on leaves. Severe infections before tasseling can reduce yields significantly. Favored by moderate temperatures (64-81°F), heavy dew, and frequent rain events.
environmental
Drought stress during tasseling and silking causes poor pollination, resulting in missing kernels and reduced ear fill. Sweet corn is most sensitive to water stress from approximately one week before silking through two weeks after. Yield losses of 3-8% per day of stress during this period are typical.
Nutritional Yield
Nutrition data pending.
Research agents will profile Sweet Corn against USDA FoodData Central on the next maintenance pass. Per-acre nutritional yield will appear here once the per-100g panel is recorded.
Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem service data pending.
The next research-agent rotation will document this crop's contributions to pollinator support, soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Nearby Buyers
Data Sources
Every data point on this page is traceable to its source. Below you'll find the complete provenance trail — which sources were used, when data was last verified, and a full change history.
Primary sources: Data sourced from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, USDA resources, and regional research.
Economics data year: 2025 · Region: lake_erie
53 tracked changes across 9 data categories