Welcome to the amazing world of corn! Have you ever wondered where those yummy cornflakes in your bowl come from? Or how popcorn magically pops into fluffy, crunchy treats?
Well, we have some exciting answers for you! This article will explore fascinating facts about corn, a special grain that people have loved for thousands of years.
So, put on your learning hats and get ready to uncover the secrets of this incredible plant with these corn facts for kids.
Fact # 1 Corn is a Vegetable and a Grain
In the U.S., we characterize corn as a vegetable, but in many parts of the world, corn is considered a grain.
Corn is really interesting because it can be both a vegetable and a grain. Let me explain.
When we talk about corn as a vegetable, we usually mean the fresh, sweet corn that we eat off the cob. You know, those yummy yellow or white kernels we enjoy during summer barbecues? That’s the vegetable part of the corn. We can cook it, boil it, or even grill it.
But here’s the cool part: Corn can also be a grain. When we say corn is a grain, we’re talking about the dried kernels that are used to make different kinds of food. For example, cornmeal, cornflakes, and even popcorn are all made from those dried corn kernels.
Just like other grains such as rice or wheat, corn can be ground into flour or used to make various foods. So when we think of corn as a grain, we usually talk about all the different things we can make from it, like cornbread, tortilla chips, or even corn-based snacks.
Fact # 2 These are 200 Varieties of Corn
Did you know that there are more than 200 different types of corn? Isn’t that amazing? Each variety is special and unique in its own way. Let’s learn more about them! Here are a few popular varieties.
Dent Corn
Farmers often use Dent Corn, and field corn, to feed livestock like chickens and cows.
Flint corn
Flint Corn is also known as Indian corn. It comes in a variety of colors and has a harder outer shell. It is also used to feed livestock. Popcorn is a type of Flint corn.
Sweet Corn
When you are eating corn on the cob, most likely, you are eating sweet corn. Sweet corns are, like the name says, sweet! They are the most popular corn that ends up on your plate.
Flour Corn
Flour Corn is used in baking. It is used to make baked goods, corn flour, and tortillas.
Fact #3 Another Name for Corn is Maize
Corn, also known as maize, is a grain that originated in the Americas thousands of years ago. It was cultivated by Native American tribes long before European settlers arrived.
Corn is in the grass family. The ear or cob of the corn is part of the flower, and the kernels are seeds. Every ear of corn will always have an even number of towns. On Average, corn has 800 kernels and 16 rows.
Fact # 4 Corn is Colorful
Besides yellow, corn can be white, red, blue, purple, and even multicolored! Isn’t that exciting? Each color has its own special charm.
Yellow corn is the most common and widely known color. We often see it at the grocery store or on our dinner plates.
White corn is another type of corn. It has kernels that are a creamy white color. White corn has a tender and sweet taste.
Have you ever seen blue or purple corn? Yes, there are purple and blue corn. it’s true!
And guess what? There’s even corn with more than one color on the same cob! We call it multicolored or bi-color corn. Imagine yellow and white kernels or even a mix of yellow, white, and other colors.
Each corn color has its unique taste, texture, and characteristics.
Fact # 5 Corn is Nutritious
Did you know that corn is not only yummy but also very nutritious? It has special things inside that help our bodies grow strong and healthy!
Corn gives us energy because it has something called carbohydrates. These fuel our bodies to keep us active and playful all day.
It also has something called fiber. Fiber helps our bodies digest food properly and ensures our tummies are healthy.
Corn also contains protein. Protein is crucial for muscle development, tissue repair, and overall growth.
Corn has special vitamins and minerals! Corn contains potassium, vitamin C, and Vitamin A. These vitamins and minerals help us grow big and strong. They make our bones healthy, help our brains work well, and keep our immune system strong so we don’t get sick easily.
Oh, and did you know that corn is good for our eyes too? It has special things called antioxidants that keep our eyes healthy and help us see clearly.
Fact # 6 Corn Has Thousands of Uses
One acre of corn removes about 8 tons of carbon dioxide from the air in one growing season.
Corn is an ingredient in many foods, such as cereals, popcorn, corn chips, baby food, and even pet food.
Corn is used as a sweetener in many foods. For example, did you know juice and soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi contain corn sweeteners?
High fructose corn syrup is made from corn. It is the most common sweetener in processed foods.
1 bushel of corn can sweeten about 400 cans of soda.
Corn has thousands of uses. In fact, during your day, you probably use or eat something that contains some form of corn.
Corn is used for many nonfood items such as cosmetics, paint, laundry detergent, ink, etc.
Corn is also sometimes an ingredient in some medications, such as antibiotics.
About 40% of produced corn is used for ethanol production for gas.
Fact # 7 Corn Grows All Over the World
Corn is a very special plant that grows in many different countries around the world. It’s like a superhero plant because it can adapt to different climates and grow in many places!
In fact, Antarctica is the only continent in the entire world that doesn’t grow corn.
Corn crops are popular in countries like the United States, China, Brazil, Mexico, and India.
These countries have different climates and landscapes, but corn is a clever plant that can grow in all of them. It’s like a world traveler!
Farmers take care of the corn plants and make sure they have enough water, sunlight, and nutrients from the soil. They plant the corn seeds and watch them grow into tall plants with big leaves.
Then, when the corn is ready, they harvest it. Harvesting means picking corn from the plants to be used for different things.
Fact # 8 The United States Grows the Most Corn
The U.S. produces about 42% of the world’s corn; this makes America the largest producer of corn in the world.
The United States has many open fields for corn to grow. The United States’ climates and soil are ideal growing conditions for corn to grow.
Corn needs a few important things to grow well. It needs warm weather, plenty of sunshine, and the right kind of soil. The United States has many regions that provide these ideal conditions for corn to grow happily.
That’s why farmers in the United States can grow so much corn!
Having the right weather and soil means the corn plants can grow big and strong. They can stretch towards the sky and grow beautiful green leaves.
When the time is right, those plants produce corn ears. Each ear has lots of kernels, the yummy part of the corn that we eat or use for other things.
But why does the United States grow so much corn compared to other countries?
Well, there are a few reasons for that. First, the United States has a lot of land where farmers can plant and grow corn. They have these big, wide-open spaces perfect for growing corn.
Second, farmers in the United States have been growing corn for a very long time.
They have learned a lot about caring for corn plants and making them grow well. They use special equipment and techniques to make sure the corn plants have everything they need to be healthy and strong.
Fact # 9 Christopher Columbus Traded Corn with Native Americans
Christopher Columbus traded with the Natives and brought corn back to Europe. Before then, the people in Europe never had corn.
The Native Americans introduced corn to the new settlers. They taught them how to grow and take care of it.
The Native Americans also showed the new settlers how to use it to make various foods. This saved them from starvation.
Corn was served at the first Thanksgiving.
Fact # 10 New Technology has made Harvesting Corn Easier for Farmers
In the early 1900s, harvesting corn was a lot more challenging and required a lot of hard work. Farmers had to do most of the work by hand, which meant using simple tools and a lot of manual labor.
In the early 1900s, one common method of harvesting corn was using a corn binder. The corn binder was a horse-drawn machine that cut the corn stalks and tied them into bundles called shocks.
Farmers would then have to go through the field and gather the shocks by hand.
Today, the process of harvesting corn has become much more efficient and faster, thanks to modern technology. Farmers now use big machines called combines or corn harvesters to harvest corn.
These machines can do many tasks at once!
During the early 1900s, a farmer could hand pick about 100 bushels of corn in a regular 9-hour work day. Today, using modern machinery, that amount can be picked in about 7 minutes.
Conclusion
corn is an incredible plant that has been around for thousands of years!
It grows in many places worldwide, and farmers take special care of it to make sure it grows big and healthy.
We can eat corn in so many yummy ways, like corn on the cob, popcorn, and corn chips. Corn is tasty and good for our bodies because it has vitamins and fiber.
Not only is corn used for food, but it also is used for fuel for cars, medicines, cosmetics, and more. We learned so many corn facts for kids. Remember to be thankful for this amazing crop.
