Corn is included in so many different food items, besides the obvious fresh corn that we enjoy for so little in the produce section. We also consume a lot of corn as a main ingredient in several other processed foods. Then, there is corn that is grown specifically for use in animal feed, which is not harvested for human consumption. Corn is grown, harvested and handled in different ways based on the market in which it is being grown. Below, are three different examples from my field visits of methods in which corn is harvested.
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Corn Harvesting for the Fresh Market
When corn is harvested for the fresh market, it is harvested by hand using a harvesting tool (in this case, a knife). In California, corn that is destined for the fresh market is typically harvested at night, and in the video below, you can see an example of this. One thing that was especially obvious for me while I was visiting this particular type of corn harvest was the amount of corn fibers that were released into the air while the workers were harvesting (it made me want to cough uncontrollably). This is the most labor-intensive harvesting method as the workers are working directly with the corn. Luckily, the tractor moves in front of the workers to help break down the corn stalks so that it is easier for the workers to progress through the field as they harvest. For more on the specific details of this harvesting process, you can read the full post HERE.
Corn Harvesting for Processed Corn
When harvesting corn for the processing market, it is all done with one machine. A corn combine is used and goes up and down the rows of corn to harvest out the kernels. The corn combine separates out the kernels from the rest of the stalk and then once the corn combine is filled, the kernels are released into a hauling trailer to take the kernels to the processing facility. You can see more of this process in the video below and read more about the corn harvesting process using a corn combine HERE.
Corn Harvesting for Corn Silage
This type of corn harvesting was probably the most interesting for me to learn about because it is not something I have ever come across before. I had seen the tires covering the tarps on the freeway before near dairy lots, but always thought it served a different purpose. The actual purpose is to ferment the harvested corn so that it can be digested by dairy cows. This harvesting process consists of one machine that goes through and chops up the majority of the corn plant and transports it to an adjacent trailer that takes the harvested product to a fermentation pile. It is really an incredible process to watch. You can learn more about the specifics of the corn silage harvesting and processing operations in the video below, and you can read the full post HERE.
It is so interesting to see how different methodologies develop over time in agriculture to make the different harvesting methods more efficient and cost-effective. In the case of corn, we consume it probably more than a lot of us realize and here are the perfect examples to see where the corn actually comes from and how it is handled prior to being included in our meals.
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