The Wonderful World of Corn

The MAiZE isn't the only thing great that comes from corn. In fact, here's a little "corn trivia" that might surprise you. Did you realize how much you use corn every day without even knowing it? See how many of the facts below you're aware of...

There are more than 3,500 different uses for corn products. Corn does much more than feed people and livestock! It is processed and used in such things as baby food, chewing gum, dessert icing, fireworks, ethanol fuel, peanut butter, antibiotics, potato chips, soap, paint, and rust preventatives. It's also used in vitamins, the manufacturing of photographic film, and in the production of plastics.
The United States produces more corn to feed animals than any other grain. In recent years corn production has hit new heights, with over 10 billion bushels harvested. If every ear of corn could be stacked end to end, it would be long enough to reach from Earth to Mars!
Did you know corn has an incredibly long shelf life? Archeologists have been able to pop 1,000-year-old popcorn! (Wonder how that tasted!!!)
Here's some folklore about corn: The Indian word maiz means "sacred mother" or "giver over life." Some ancient tribes believed that corn is afraid to be cooked so a woman must warm it first with her breath. Cornmeal was also sprinkled across the doorway to keep enemies out. (Warning: Don't try this one at home! We can't guarantee the results.)
Farmers grow corn on every continent except Antarctica.
One bushel of corn contains about 72,800 kernels and weighs 56 pounds.
From one bushel of corn we can get sweetener for 325 cans of pop, oil for two pounds of margarine, enough starch for a ton of paper, or 15 pounds of carbon dioxide "fizz" in soft drinks.
Earch year, a single U.S. farmer provides food and fiber for 129 people -- 97 in the United States and 32 overseas.