Knee High by the Fourth of July

There's an old saying in farm country that corn should be "knee high by the fourth of July" if it's going to be ready for a good harvest in the fall. So enjoy a few fun corn pictures of my kids and kin and a few corn facts you can throw around to impress your carpool buddies as you exit the cul de sac.

Economic Fact: Corn is currently selling for more than $7 a bushel. This means that it is more expensive to feed cattle and pigs--and will affect meat and dairy prices at the store.

You Will be Surprised How Many People Don't Know this Fact: The corn raised on farms by livestock farmers and grain farmers is NOT the same as what you eat. Farmers grow highly evolved "field corn" that is harvested when it is dry and the kernels are hard. People eat "sweet corn," which is very different breed of corn and is harvested when it is still green. (A little trick here: sweet corn is also grown by farmers BUT different farmers)

Fact to Show how In-touch You are With the Plight of Farmers: When corn gets very dry, the leaves curl up and get very pointy. When you see a field looking like this, you can point it out and declare what a dry spell we are in. Very impressive to your rural friends. Or fellow guys who mow their .25 acre lawns with a John Deere riding mower.