When an average consumer thinks about corn, they probably think about what they buy at the grocery store. Yellow sweet corn in a can or on the cob. There’s nothing wrong with that — it’s just not what I think of.  

When grain producers think of corn, they think of their crops in the field, how the plants are doing, what their plans are for next year, current markets, and more. But that’s not what comes to mind for me, either.  

I see corn as an opportunity.  

There are a few things that lead me there. First, corn is abundant. In America, and especially in Ohio, we are so good at growing corn that we carry over a supply every year. Grain producers keep storage bins on their own farms or use commercial grain elevators to collectively store their corn because we have so much. We produce more corn on less land every single year, and we haven’t run out.  

Second, corn is a fantastic source of starch and energy. Corn is used to make thousands of products from corn syrup in foods, makeup, diapers, industrial chemicals, fuel blends, tires, cereals, fireworks, medicines, and so much more. Our industrial system is set up well for corn byproducts. It’s versatile and easy to obtain, making it a perfect ingredient in production.  

Corn can play a substantial role in helping keep the planet healthy. Corn can even be used to make compostable plastic. As a society we know that plastic is harmful to the environment and can take thousands of years to break down. One way to reduce the amount of plastic harming our environment is to use biodegradable and compostable alternatives that don’t impact user experience (I’m looking at you, paper straws and bamboo forks). Think about how much plastic people use in a day. Now imagine all that plastic was able to break down in just a few months through composting.  

Most think of livestock feed and ethanol but corn can do so much more than people give it credit for.  It’s time to start innovating for new uses of that amazing kernel of corn.