Thanksgiving may still be three weeks away, but the sound of panic is rustling through town, and it’s not coming from the local turkeys. Cinniapolitans are facing what local grocers are calling “the tightest corn supply in a generation,” thanks to what many describe as a perfect storm of market cornering, small-town hoarding, and alleged greed radiating out of neighboring Walesburg.

At the center of it all is Golden Valley Co-Op, the Walesburg grain distributor that last month quietly bought out two of the three area feed depots and has since “adjusted” its prices to what one local farmer called “cosmic levels.”

In September, a 50-pound sack of corn was $12, compared to today’s listed price of $34. That kind of markup has rippled through the city faster than gossip at the St. Boris Friday fish fry. Thick Pickins General Manager, Shaquille Aston, reported that shelves of canned corn sold out within hours of Tuesday’s delivery, with customers lining up before dawn. “It’s like a new iPhone release, but for creamed corn,” he said. “People were buying cases. Great day for corn.”

Meanwhile, Walesburg mayor, Annabelle Winston, dismissed accusations of price gouging. “They’re (GV Co-Op) merely adjusting to global conditions,” Ms. Winston said. “Corn demand is up, transport costs have risen, and — if we’re being honest — Thanksgiving comes every year. People could plan better.”

That remark didn’t sit well with Cinniapolitans. On Main Street, several residents gathered Monday night for an impromptu “corn vigil” outside the old feed store, holding candles and displaying hand-painted signs that read “Born for Corn” and “Eat the Hoarders”

As Thanksgiving looms, Cinniapolis faces an existential question: what’s a holiday without corn? Around here, that’s not just a side dish — it’s a symbol of plenty, of tradition, of neighborly exchange. And for many, the shortage feels like something more than economic misfortune.

“It’s not about the price,” a local Thick Pickins Merchandiser said, restocking a shelf of canned peas. “It’s about pride. If they are willing to take our grains, what could be next?”