Corn Industry An Overview of the Corn Industry in Georgia Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Dr. Frank Flanders and Adrienne Gentry August 2006

Objectives Students will be able to: Explain the importance of the corn industry in Georgia. Name four corn products. State key facts about corn. Name the top three corn producing counties. Rank the Corn Industry compared to other Georgia agricultural commodities. Explain corn usage in the United States.

Why is the corn industry important? Corn is more widely grown than any other Georgia crop. Each county in Georgia has corn acreage. Corn makes Grits! The value of crop production in Georgia is $64.2 million.

Corn Products Some dishes that include the delicious vegetable corn: Corn on the cob Creamed corn Corn soup Succotash Corn chowder Corn soufflé Grits

Corn Products Corn is a major component in many food items like cereals, peanut butter, snack foods and soft drinks. Corn is used to produce fuel alcohol (Ethanol). Starch, dextrose, and corn syrup play major roles in cooking, cleaning, medicines, and other industrial products.

Corn Corn can be eaten right off the cob or used in many different dishes. The corn's crunch and sweet taste make it one of America's all-time favorite vegetables. No matter how you prepare your corn, it's low in fat, very low in sodium, cholesterol free and a good source of vitamin C.

Corn Varieties There are hundreds of varieties of corn grown in the United States. The type of corn grown is dependent upon what time of the growing season it is and the purpose of the corn.

Sweet Corn Sweet corn is produced for human consumption as either a fresh or processed product. Sweet corn is a warm-weather crop, well suited for Georgia's climate. Available in Georgia from May through mid-September.

Field Corn Field corn was grown in North America before 200 B.C. Field corn is produced primarily for animal feed and industrial uses such as ethanol, cooking oil, etc.

In the U.S., corn production measures more than 2 times that of any other crop. Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota account for over 50 percent of the corn grown in the U.S. United States Corn Production

Georgia Corn Production Grains, particularly corn, have been important to Georgia's citizens, livestock, wildlife, and general economy since the state's founding. Native Americans and European settlers depended on grains to sustain life and trade. Today, Georgia citizens and livestock consume billions of pounds of grains each year.

US Corn Production

Top Producing Counties in Georgia Top Corn Producing Counties 1.Grady 2.Seminole 3.Miller 4.Mitchell 5. Irwin Georgia's top corn-producing county in 2001 was Grady County, which produced more than 1.7 million bushels. Corn, the state's main summer crop, is grown primarily in south Georgia and often requires irrigation.

Georgia’s Commodity Value Item Rank by saleSales ($1000) Percent of total sales Poultry and eggs12,780, Vegetables, melons, and potatoes2383, Cotton and cotton seed3318, Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture4315, Other crops and hay5246,9365 Cattle and calves6240, Milk and other dairy products from cows7212, Fruits, tree nuts and berries8122, Grains (Corn), oilseeds, dry beans, and dry peas9102, Tobacco1089,0581.8

Interesting Facts Corn as we know it (domesticated corn) cannot survive in the wild. The seeds, or kernels, are so firmly attached to the cob that they do not disperse easily. Americans consume 16.5 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually, more than anyone else in the world. About 30 percent of that is eaten outside the home - in theaters, ballparks, schools, etc. One cup of popcorn provides 1.3 grams of dietary fiber. China ranks second in the production of corn, after the US. It takes 25 gallons of water to grow one ear of corn. About 60 percent of harvested corn is fed to livestock, and 20 percent is exported. The rest is used to make a variety of products.

Assessment 1. Name four corn products. 2. What important product does corn produce that has been in the news lately as a fuel alternative? A. gasoline B. oil C. ethanol D. thiamine 3. In the U.S., corn production measures more than _________ times that of any other crop. A. four B. eight C. one D. two 4. What percentage of corn is used for ethanol in the United States? A. 58% B. 9% C. 19% C. 6% 5. What is most field corn used for? 6. What is the scientific name for corn? 7. What Southern food is made from corn? 8. It takes _______ gallons of water to grow one ear of corn. A. 4 B. 25 C. 56 C How much corn is used to feed livestock? A. 20 % B. 80 % C. 10 % D. 60 % 10. Name one state that combined with three other states, produces 50% of our nation’s corn.

Quiz Key 1. Starch, dextrose, corn on the cob, cereal 2. C. ethanol 3. D. two 4. B. 9% 5. Animal Feed 6. Zea Mayes 7. Grits 8. B D. 60 % 10. Iowa

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