“Our first contest in 2024 was successful and we saw some creative and effective displays from our retail partners,” Rumenik said. “We are really excited to see what our retailers come up with this season.”
Sweet corn is a major specialty crop in Florida and is especially important in the Everglades Agricultural Area. In fact, Palm Beach County ranks as the top producing county for fresh market sweet corn in the United States.
“Florida grows superior supersweet varieties in a time frame when much of the rest of the country is still too cold to start growing produce,” Rumenik said. “Florida sweet corn is shipped up the East Coast November through May.”
The reason Florida is such a success in the category, she added, is quality that keeps consumers coming back, and a price point that encourages purchases.
“Sweet corn sold in the husk looks best when it is handled with care, including being refrigerated and kept at a consistent moisture level,” Rumenik said. “We have seen that once a consumer sees sweet corn that does not have a green and healthy-looking husk, they will skip over the buying opportunity entirely and we may not get them back. Similarly, sweet corn demand is very dependent on price. When retailers run ads that have multiples of sweet corn (say, 4-5 or more ears) and a comfortable price point, the consumer is going to pick up those multiple ears of corn instead of just one.”
The FFVA also has data that shows while sweet corn might not necessarily be on the shopper’s grocery list every trip, if the corn looks good and is priced right, they will buy.
“We only grow varieties that are approved as supersweet and high quality,” Rumenik said. “We encourage consumers to visit Fresh From Florida’s website to find recipes that work for days when you can’t grill corn outside. There are lots of recipes that highlight corn chowder, corn salsa and even sweet corn as a topping for homemade flatbreads. You don’t have to step out into the snow to enjoy spring sweet corn from Florida.”
Sweet corn movement did well in 2024, but the department is always looking to move more each season.
“After COVID, we saw a general decrease in shipments, but it ticked back up last season,” Rumenik said. “The quality is excellent this season and there is plenty of promotable volume in the market now and on the way, and we’ve got lots of merchandising opportunities this season with the display contest and some strong retail ads planned.”
The way to continue to be the leader in the category, she added, was to continue to grow varieties that consumers crave and recognize as being the sweetest option in the market in the spring.
“We’ve seen some increases in retailers seeking out corn to tray pack, so the quality of corn must continue to meet retailer standards,” Rumenik said. “Promoting multiples of sweet corn helps move more volume, period. Retailers can run ads of five or more ears and watch volume move.
Retailers can partner with Fresh From Florida to have access to tons of resources, including recipes, sampling opportunities and more. I highly recommend someone on a retail team being in touch with the Fresh From Florida program.”
