The Magic of Broomcorn March 7, 2012

Broomcorn (sorghum vulgare) An agricultural crop grown specifically for making brooms Looks like sweet corn when growing Originally introduced in North America by Ben Franklin in 1790 Mostly grown in northern Mexico around Torreon

What Makes Broomcorn a Great Sweep? Broomcorn is tapered, making it easy to flex for sweeping while retaining memory The tips of broomcorn have hundreds of invisible little fibers that pick up dust, lint and hair that make it superior to other fibers – making it the original microfiber Broomcorn is self cleaning – broomcorn will wear down with use, keeping the end of the broom clean Broomcorn is ecological – biodegradable and sustainable – if the market needs more broomcorn, then farmers will grow more broomcorn Synthetic fibers use natural gas and oil for feedstock – making them fossil fibers

Beargrass – The plant that saved Broom Making in North America Beargrass (nolina microcarpa) is the mixed fiber in Mixed Fiber Brooms Beargrass is also known as Yucca Fiber, Nolina Fiber, and Sotol Fiber Grows wild in the higher elevations of northern Mexico and western USA Beargrass plants will grow back after being cut for fiber Beargrass is sustainable and biodegradable When mixed with broomcorn will make a stiffer sweeping broom Beargrass typically costs 1/3 the price of broomcorn Insides – making mixed fiber brooms less expensive than 100% broomcorn brooms China does not produce low cost beargrass fiber – limiting market penetration in North America by Chinese made corn brooms

Other Natural Fibers Used in Corn Brooms Palmyra Fiber – from India used in mixed fiber brooms for an extra stiff sweep African Grass – from Lesotho, looks very similar to broomcorn and is sometimes mixed with broomcorn and passed off as “100% broomcorn” broom

Other Comments on Corn Brooms and Broomcorn Corn brooms are hand crafted – a typical commercial broom maker can wind 120 to 240 brooms per 8 hour day Upright brooms are more agile than floor sweeps – easier to get into corners and under furniture Light weight all corn brooms are excellent for sweeping smooth floors such as tile, hardwood and vinyl Heavier all corn and mixed fiber brooms are ideal for sweeping decks, patios, sidewalks and driveways Corn brooms can be considered works of art. There are hundreds of artisans, crafters, and hobbyists making novelty brooms in North America Brooms are sometimes used in wedding ceremonies Curling brooms were originally made of broomcorn Broomcorn is often used for duck blinds in the Plains states

Plastic Brooms and Fibers: Plastic Brooms have been outselling corn brooms for many years. This is due to their lower cost from the automated staple set manufacturing process. Labor productivity is more than 10 times that of corn brooms. Common Plastic Broom Fibers: Polypropylene (PP) Low cost and light weight, flags well, fair memory Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Medium density, flags very good, good memory Often recycled from water bottles – promoted as a “green” product Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Denser than PP and PET, flags good, excellent memory PVC is opposed by some environmental groups due to toxins produced during production