There are no guarantees in life.
But local corn grower Garry Valgardson gave as close as you could for one, calming the fears of many that Taber’s annual Cornfest would not have the sweet kernel treat for late August.
With the poor growing season hampering corn growers in southern Alberta, no grower who was at the recent meeting with organizers with the Taber Chamber of Commerce was willing to go on record that its corn crop would be ready for Cornfest.
But plenty of heat from Mother Nature since then had one grower approaching the Times last week giving his seal of approval.
“I am sure I’ll have corn to eat before the 20th (of August). I will definitely have lots of Corn by the 28th — Cornfest,” said Valgardson.
That does not mean Valgardson like the many other growers in southern Alberta did not have their share of challenges.
“Last two years I got hailed out. But the two years before that I started on Aug. 1 and finished on Sept. 8. I have started on the 17th and I’ve started on the 10th,” said Valgardson. “Now we are at least three weeks behind.”
Valgardson has seen what the nice summer, hot weather has done to his own crop the last couple of weeks.
“You have to have a warm, damp spring,” said Valgardson in describing his optimal corn-growing season, quite the opposite of some of the record rain the area was pelting with this spring, bringing colder temperatures and flooding in some areas.
“Once it comes up, you have to have warm nights which is what they like.”
There is plenty of warm weather being forecast in the foreseeable future to help corn growers throughout southern Alberta and only a rapid sudden change will curtail plans for corn availability at Cornfest.
“If nothing happens, it will definitely be ready before Cornfest,” said Valgardson.
“It’s three weeks away (last Friday) and I have some fair-sized cobs already.”