Corn: Bushels of Corn August 28, 2009

This year, South Dakotans will plant approximately 5 million acres of corn. Eastern South Dakota is part of the great Corn Belt that sweeps across the mid-section of the United States. From its origins in South America, corn has spread across the globe and has evolved from a bushy grass into a slender stalk. With farming practices changing from individual farms with horse-drawn implements to conglomerate operations with state-of-the-art machinery, the corn industry has skyrocketed in recent history. From food to ethanol, from sweeteners to batteries, corn is a part of thousands of products we use everyday.