Heat forces some produce stands to close early

They're hard to miss. Every summer, yellow and green stands pop up around Wichita.

Buyers will find plenty fresh produce under the strips. "I just purchased corn a couple days ago," says Dee Wills.

Wills shops at the stands every few days. She brings vegetables to her neighbors.

Today, she's buying more than usual because she has to. "I hate that because they've always gone until the second week of August."

This year, Gaeddert Farms produce stands are closing early.

"The hotter it is, the faster things ripen," says manager Willy Adkins.

And the heat is ripening their sweet corn faster than it can be harvested.

Adkins says hot temperatures are a variable they struggle with every summer. "It may shorten your season and sometimes it may lengthen your season, its not unusual its just bitter-sweet because we want to work another week and its not going to happen this year."

While the heat is maturing the corn too fast, crops that were planted last month are burning up. farmers say if they had moisture, the heat wouldn't really bother them but with little rain and none in the forecast they say that milo and soybean crops are suffering too.

Saturday, stands will come down for the season.

So, customers stock up, taking corn by the bagful to freeze so they won't have to wait until next year to enjoy it.