Greg Forejt Jr., owner and operator of Windy Heights Farm in East Huntingdon, was determined to get an early jump on sweet corn season this year. He and his team began in the early spring by planting about 140,000 seeds in a greenhouse on his property. As the stalks began to sprout and the earth warmed, the Windy Heights workers replanted the seedlings by hand across four acres of land. This unconventional, time-consuming and laborious process enabled him to be ready to pick the first ears this week, just in time for July Fourth barbecues. Gone are the days of the old farming adage “knee high by the Fourth of July.” Because when it comes to sweet corn, no growing method is too laborious for farmers trying to be the first to bring the crop to local markets.

Photo Credit: Asha Blake/Tribune-Review