Ohio Corn Checkoff

The Ohio Corn Checkoff is a voluntary program that collects assessment funds by all first purchasers of Ohio-grown corn. The funds are exclusively used to develop and expand markets, fund research and provide education about corn.

Corn Facts

DID YOU KNOW?

• Ohio has approximately 77,000 farms. More than 97 percent of those farms are owned by farm families.
• Ohio is a leading producer of corn, soybeans, hogs, eggs, ethanol and Dry Distillers Grain Solubles (DDGS) which serve as a premium source of protein for livestock.
• In 2018, Ohio farmers planted more than 3.3 million acres and harvested 617 million bushels of corn according to the U.S. Department of Agricultural Statistics Service.

SWEET CORN VS. FIELD CORN

• Only one percent of corn planted in the United States is sweet corn.
• 99 percent of corn grown in Ohio is “Field Corn.” When Ohio’s corn farmers deliver corn from the field, it’s “Field Corn.” It is not the sweet corn you might enjoy on the cob.
• Field corn is the classic big ears of yellow dented corn you see dried and harvested in the fall. It’s called “dent corn” because of the distinctive dent that forms on the kernel as the corn dries.
• While a small portion of “Field Corn” is processed for use as corn cereal, corn starch, corn oil and corn syrup for human consumption, it is primarily used for livestock feed, ethanol production and manufactured goods. It’s considered a grain.
• Sweet corn is what people purchase fresh, frozen or canned for eating. It’s consumed as a vegetable. Unlike “Field Corn,” which is harvested when the kernels are dry and fully mature, sweet corn is picked when immature.

WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

• Ohio Corn is used for a variety of things like feed for livestock and poultry and it is used to make clean-burning high-octane American ethanol.
• One bushel of corn produces 17 pounds of DDGS as well as 2.8 gallons of ethanol.
• Corn is in more than 4,000 grocery store items a few examples include: shampoo, diapers, fireworks, toothpaste, chewing gum, marshmallows, crayons and paper.

DEBUNKING FOOD VS. FUEL MYTH

There is a significant amount of misinformation on the internet regarding the relationship between corn and the price of food in the grocery stores. Let’s take a look at the facts:

• In 2015, U.S. corn farmers produced a record-breaking crop. However, the price of corn is the lowest it’s been in three years, yet food prices have not come down.
• Only 16 percent of grocery costs can be traced back to farm inputs, like corn. The rest goes to costs such as energy, transportation, packaging, marketing and labor.
• Oil, not corn, has been driving up global food prices. The World Bank conducted research determining crude oil as the number one determinant of global food prices. The cost of energy from oil is integral to so much of the 84 percent of what makes up grocery costs. When the price of oil goes up, so does food prices.
• The great thing about corn is that it provides:
  • A renewable, environmentally-friendly fuel source (Ethanol)
  • Animal feed for livestock which is important to our food supply
  • Exports supplying the world with corn and corn products which boosts our economy
  • Food ingredients necessary for preparing many of our favorite meals
  • Bio-based, renewable materials for industrial uses such as bioplastics

OTHER FUN CORN FACTS

• Corn can be produced in various colors including blackish, bluish-gray, purple, green, red and white but the most common color grown is yellow.
• There is one silk for every kernel that grows in an ear of corn.
• The number of kernels per ear can vary from 500 to about 1,200, but a typical ear would have 800 kernels in 16 rows.
• Corn is grown in every continent except Antarctica.
• One acre of corn is about the size of a football field.
• A bushel of corn is 56 pounds, about the weight of a large bag of dog food.
• A single corn bushel can sweeten about 400 cans of soda pop.