Corn is one of the many foods that feed the world. We use corn as a grain, a side with our meal, as a feed for our livestock, and even as a fuel source. One of our goals with Acres of Grace Farms is teaching people young and old about agriculture so this post is something you can share with your little ones, parents, and coworkers. Starting off we’d like to explain that corn has a few different kernel varieties. Six varieties in total: flint, flour, dent, pop, sweet, and waxy. In this post were going to cover the 3 most popular types grown in the US; sweet, field, and popcorn. Sweet corn is what you see in the produce section at the grocery store. You can also buy it in cans or in the frozen food aisle. Sweet corn can be eaten on the cob, off the cob, as cream corn and so many other ways. Fresh sweet corn is found most often during the summer and is sweet and juicy. Sweet corn has many varieties. One of the most common in the south is Peaches and Cream Sweet Corn. It is a bicolor hybrid with white and yellow kernels that provide two different flavors in each bite. Next up is everyone's favorite movie snack popcorn. Popcorn has kernels that are darker and rounder than the other corn kernel varieties. The composition of popcorn is starchier than other types of corn. Water is stored inside of this starch and when the popcorn kernel is heated, the water heats builds up pressure, and takes up any available room until the outer surface gives way and the water explodes into the fluffy white popcorn we know. The type of corn you see in animal feeds that is turned into ethanol for your car is field corn. The most grown type of corn in the US is field corn. It is primarily used for livestock feed, ethanol production, and manufactured goods. In fact, field corn makes up 95 percent of the grain in animal feed. A small portion of field corn is processed for use as corn cereal, corn starch, corn oil, and corn syrup for human consumption. Field corn is referred to as dent corn because of the indentations or “dents” on the top of each kernel.
