Posted By Cindy April 5, 2012
Candy corn is a staple for Halloween, but jelly beans and chocolate bunnies get most of the basket space on Easter.
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as Easter corn. Yep, it’s marketed by Zachary Confections of Frankfort, Indiana and those pretty pastel colors would be a great addition to any Easter basket. And they are made with real corn syrup!
Zachary does candy corn like nobody else. They actually have an “Award Winning Candy Corn line” that even includes different flavors and colors like Cherry, Tangerine, Raspberry, Caramel, Caramel Apple and Cinnamon.
Believe it. Candy corn – it’s not just for Halloween anymore.
Posted By Cathryn February 21, 2012
Sometimes, the cacophony deriding corn grows loud enough to drown out reason. Vague allegations based in variations on the big-is-bad theme swirl about creating a tornado of talk that obscures reality.
Now, through simple, concise facts, the National Corn Growers Association is helping sweep aside the clutter and show that corn is, and always has been, a quintessentially American crop, fueling innovation and national growth.
A new NCGA-developed timeline, available both online and as a supplement to the 2012 World of Corn, shows how corn played an integral role in the development of the Model T, the clean air movement and feeding our forefathers as they established the country. With additional information on production trends that increase yields and sustainability simultaneously and fun facts about corn, this poster-sized infographic makes finding the facts about corn both easy and enjoyable.
Take a minute to stroll through the history of corn in America by clicking here and gaze out at the golden fields that fed and inspired history.
Posted By Cindy January 31, 2012
It’s a bird, it’s a plane …. it’s a flying ear of corn!
You can see this piece of aerial artwork at Gate E-16 in the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. It is one of a number of pieces that became a part of the international Concourse E at the airport when it was built in 1996 to make way for the Centennial Olympic Games.
“Each gate has a unique installation by an artist from the southeastern region of the United States,” according to the airport website. “Peppered through the rest of the concourse are additional artworks and displays. As a result, Concourse E has the Airport Art Program’s largest collection of permanent and site-specific art. We hope that passengers from around the world leave Concourse E delighted, intrigued and with a sense of the complex culture of the American South.”
The flying corn is called “Corncorde” and the artist is Craig Nutt. “From Nutt’s “Flying Vegetable” series, the design was inspired by jetliners. With its wings swept back, leaping into flight the corn is propelling upward to cruising altitude. This humorous work was hand-carved by Nutt from wood and painted to capture the details of this indigenous American crop.
To accompany the flying corn, Nutt created an air traffic control tower. Nothing is more appropriate to guide the “Corncorde” on its journey than a tower composed of a giant carrot and motorized spinning butter bean also made out of carved and painted wood.”
The things you see when you travel …
Posted By Cindy October 11, 2011
The Missouri Corn Merchandising Council (MCMC) is amazing fall visitors to corn mazes in the state with facts about the state’s corn industry.
Entering its second season, the Missouri Corn fall promotion builds on last year’s successful campaign in which weatherproof stop signs were featured in 25 corn mazes across the state. The 2011 maze materials continue the theme with yield signs answering some of the most common questions about field corn. Partnering mazes also received a free Many Uses of Corn poster and Corn in the Classroom education materials for visiting teachers.
“We want to help the next generation explore agriculture,” said Missouri Corn Outreach Coordinator Hilary Holeman. “The goal of Missouri Corn’s educational efforts is to help today’s children better understand the relationship between our nation’s top crop and its impact on our daily lives.”
Taking it one step further, three corn mazes were selected to participate in a pilot program featuring a series of oversized displays highlighting the top uses for Missouri corn: feed, fuel and exports. The interactive exhibits invite visitors to post pictures to the Missouri Corn Facebook page for a chance to win $50 in free fuel.
The three mazes participating in this Missouri Corn pilot program are Fischer Farms Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, Jefferson City; Liberty Corn Maze, Liberty; and Beggs Family Farm near Sikeston. Be aMAZEd by corn!
Posted By Cathryn September 13, 2011
Now approaching its 60th anniversary, the Talbot County Maryland Corn Club came to Corn Commentary with a question: “Are we the oldest corn club in the country?”
Founded in 1951, the club was founded to facilitate a county-wide yield contest and host an awards banquet for the winners. At one point, the club even served as a model for fine similar programs in Maryland alone, but the majority of these organizations have disappeared with state and national organizations hosting most yield contests. The members of the Talbot County Corn Club continue their proud tradition citing the knowledge and ideas shared as reason enough to make the effort.
To help them celebrate, let’s find an answer to their question. If you have knowledge of any corn club that has run continuously since 1955 or before, please submit the name of the club and a contact by October 30, 2011 to Corn Commentary via email, by clicking here. While the Talbot Corn Club certainly has something to celebrate already, finding the oldest corn club in the country helps us all to recognize the proud agricultural traditions that are an important part of our industry’s heritage.
Posted By Cathryn April 28, 2011
For years, environmental activists have reinforced the negative impact that plastic bags, similar to those used in grocery stores, have upon the planet. These ubiquitous bags can sit in landfills for over 1,000 years. Now, people who love the planet and their dogs are championing a better option- corn-based biodegradable dog waste bags.
Here, ingenuity and U.S. farming collide to meet demand rooted in an urban problem, cleaning up after Fido. With the new bags, which programs such as the downtown St. Louis “Scoop the Poop” campaign are using, dog owners can rest assured knowing that they are keeping their city and their planet clean.
Farmers know how important caring for the land is. So enjoy walking Rex and don’t forget that farmers provide the fuel for innovative ways to improve the way we treat the earth every day.
Posted By Mark December 3, 2010
Something momentous happened in Las Vegas yesterday and no dice or chips were involved. The National Corn Growers Association’s landmark partnership with NASCAR® and Growth Energy was announced and with it the arrival of ethanol on the NASCAR® stage.
This development during NASCAR’s annual awards program is extremely meaningful not only because of the size of the fan base and NASCAR’s marketing clout but because there is nothing like real world rubber meeting the road to counter ethanol naysayers.
Despite years of proven performance and use ethanol still takes the occasional cheap shot from critics like Big Oil who offer an alternative product or corn users who want access to cheap corn. Many of the myths and much of the misinformation they foster will get eclipsed by the raw performance that ethanol will bring to NASCAR®.
Led by Growth Energy, more than 100 different entities – from farmers and state corn grower boards to ethanol producers and biotech companies – are working with NASCAR to introduce a cleaner-burning fuel to America. E15 fuels like Sunoco Green E15, which is unleaded gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, will support jobs in America’s heartland.
In the words of one Corn Grower, “This alliance will shine a light on ethanol’s many benefits and do it on a large national stage. Ethanol has long been overshadowed by misinformation but NASCAR’s endorsement should blow the doors off of the critics.”
The transition partnership with American Ethanol takes NASCAR’s environmental commitment to the next level. American Ethanol, a renewable source of cleaner burning energy from the bounty of America’s farmers, helps create new green jobs and a renewed sense of pride for the American worker, while helping to achieve greater energy security for our country.
Starting with the 2011 season, American Ethanol will be an integral partner in NASCAR green efforts, linking millions of American farmers with the sport of NASCAR.
- By using American Ethanol, NASCAR will demonstrate ethanol’s superior performance not only to the NASCAR audience, but to the broader public as well.
- A 15% blend of ethanol uses 50% more homegrown fuel than the current E10 standard blend in the U.S. NASCAR is leading by example by utilizing Sunoco Green E15 race fuel, showing that American ethanol-blended fuel works.
- NASCAR is going green. And ethanol is the only commercially viable alternative to gasoline. We are honored to partner with NASCAR to show Americans that ethanol is clean, green and homegrown.
- For the first time ever, starting in 2011 in Daytona, the NASCAR Green Flag will be branded with American Ethanol, representing the continued efforts of NASCAR and its commitment to environmental responsibility.
- Also premiering in 2011, every lap of every NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will be fueled by Sunoco Green E15 -– a fuel that includes 15% renewable American Ethanol, which is produced from corn grown and harvested on family farms across our country.
- NASCAR fans will see the same great racing they have come to expect, but powered with a new, greener fuel.
Posted By Mark October 26, 2010
Building off a successful campaign conducted across Nebraska a year ago, Nebraska Corn Farmers have created a new series of messages that feature several Nebraska farm families sharing facts about how today’s corn farmers are more sustainable than ever.
The Sustaining Innovation campaign echoes a promotional campaign conducted in Washington, D.C. by the Corn Farmers Coalition which is comprised of more than a dozen state corn organizations including Nebraska and the National Corn Growers Association.
“We feel it is important to share positive messages about corn farming today to better help people understand just how far farmers have come in caring for the environment while producing a growing abundance of corn,” Curt Friesen, a farmer from Henderson who chairs the Nebraska Corn Board’s market development committee, said in a news release.
Some of the positive messages include the fact that American farmers have reduced the energy used to produce a bushel of corn by 37 percent over the past three decades and that farmers are producing more corn per ounce of fertilizer than just 35 years ago.
Importantly, the messages also highlight the fact that 95 percent of all corn farms in the nation are family owned.
“We’re excited to be part of this campaign because we believe family corn farmers have made significant advancements to grow more corn per acre while requiring fewer inputs per bushel to do so,” said Chris Flaming, who is featured in one of the ads with his wife, Korene, and children. The Flamings farm near Elsie, Nebraska.
“People need to understand that it’s real families making their livelihood raising corn and that we’re doing the right things because we want our children to have an opportunity to farm, too,” Chris Flaming said
You can read more information on this remarkable story here.
Posted By Mark September 30, 2010
A freelance designer from New York City took a decidedly rural perspective when submitting his design idea for potential new looks for US currency. Lu Tapuch chose to put corn prominently in his design for a new $2 bill.
The “Campaign to ReDe$ign the US Dollar” appears to be an independent effort to collect cool designs for money as well as more than 1 million signatures to bring the efforts attention to the White House and perhaps give us a new cool or trendy look to our moolah, cabbage, scratch, greenbacks, dough…you know… macaroni.
Promoters say the American Dollar has not truly been redesigned since about the 1930s. “With ‘the economy bottoming out,’ we believe it’s time to go back to the drawing board and ‘start from scratch. Why? A piece of currency is ‘the ultimate symbol.’ At its best, a banknote distills a country’s vision, values and the heritage that make it unique. ‘A more transparent, rational financial system deserves money that looks the part. With our financial system in crisis, the time is right to redesign the currency of the United States.”
Interesting idea, but I have to admit to being a little uncomfortable with corn being on a $2 bill after US corn prices sold for that lowly amount per bushel almost without exception for two decades. Whoah, bad flashback!
You can take a peek here if you are interested in submitting your own design.
Posted By Mark September 27, 2010
So what wine goes best with myths and lies? Apparently someone better figure this out quickly as the American public is getting served up a lot of misleading information and in some cases out right fabrications regarding what they eat. The latest list of food fibs and myths come from the Editors of Eating Healthy Magazine who expose a number of urban food myths including the demonization of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).
In short, it (HFCS) seems to be no worse—but also no better—than sucrose, or table sugar. “The debate about HFCS and sucrose [table sugar] is taking the focus off the more important question,” says Kimber Stanhope, Ph.D., R.D., a researcher at the University of California, Davis, who has studied the sweetener extensively. “What we should be asking is ‘What are the effects of all sugars (HFCS and sucrose) in the diet?’”
It is interesting to note that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is number two on the list of the 13 biggest nutrition and food myths put together by Joyce Hendley, longtime contributing editor at the magazine.
Myth 2: High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is worse for you than sugar.
The Truth: The idea that high-fructose corn syrup is any more harmful to your health than sugar is “one of those urban myths that sounds right but is basically wrong,” according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a health advocacy group.
The composition of high-fructose corn syrup is almost identical to table sugar or sucrose (55 percent fructose, 45 percent glucose and 50:50, respectively). Calorie-wise, HFCS is a dead ringer for sucrose. Studies show that HFCS and sucrose have very similar effects on blood levels of insulin, glucose, triglycerides and satiety hormones. In short, it seems to be no worse—but also no better—than sucrose, or table sugar.
This controversy, say researchers, is distracting us from the more important issue: we’re eating too much of all sorts of sugars, from HFCS and sucrose to honey and molasses. The American Heart Association recently recommended that women consume no more than 100 calories a day in added sugars [6 teaspoons]; men, 150 calories [9 teaspoons].
The Yahoo-based internet community called Shine takes the Healthy Living list and boils it down to their “six biggest lies” about food and HFCS remains near the top.
The silliness of the HFCS issue is providing some good fodder for hawkers of humor such as Jim Borgman and Jerry Scott, the co-creators of the Zits comic strip. You have to marvel at their ability to send a strong message with a little over 40 words, but in this case one will do – “moderation.”
