This summer’s drought and its devastating effect on corn points up just how much we rely on this single crop. Today, I’m beginning an experiment to see how long I can go without it.
The other day, my sister and I were noodling through the neighborhood farmer’s market and passed a farmstand offering fresh picked ears of corn. Look how small they are, my sister said. Tiny.
Yes, they are. The table corn we’ve been seeing coming to farmstands and grocery stores here in Illinois is not like last year’s. The ears are tiny, and the price is high. And that is just a glimpse of what is happening more broadly across the country, as record-busting heat and drought do their ugly work. The corn crop, Reuters wrote today, is harmed beyond repair.
This does not mean only that the price of table corn will rise. The price of anything that involves corn is going to go up. Field corn is one of the basics of industrial food, and the uses we have put it to are breathtaking. If you eat beef that is not grass fed, you will see prices rise. In fact, ranchers out west have been sending cattle to market for weeks now, way ahead of schedule, because of the murderous heat—a move that will make future beef prices even higher. If you eat grocery store chicken, you are going to see prices climb.
But things go far beyond that—corn permeates every part of our modern lives. We all know about high-fructose corn syrup. If you eat any sort of processed food, even things that seem so innocent, you are probably eating corn. As an example, at lunchtime today, I looked at the bins of little condiment packets in my office cafeteria. Of the eight kinds, six contained corn. The two that were corn-free? Black pepper and sugar. Of the other six, even the salt contains corn, in the form of dextrose, used to bind the iodine to the salt.
Multiply this across, well, everything.
That instant coffee your granny fixes herself in the morning was likely processed with maltodextrins, sprayed over the powder during the manufacturing process to keep all the grains nice and separate. When she adds an artificial sweetener, she is adding more corn, in the form of more maltodextrins and other corn-derived ingredients. When she takes a time-released pill, she is getting more corn—the time-release component is a corn derivative. When she drives to the market, she may well be consuming corn, in the form of ethanol—40 percent of the US corn crop becomes ethanol. When she brushes her teeth, gargles with mouthwash, takes a vitamin: corn. We have figured out how to use this ancient grain to answer a lot of questions, but this raises a big question: what happens when it all ends?
Starting Wednesday, I am going to step away from the corn. I’m not going totally off the deep end with this—for instance, I will not shun food simply because it might have been transported in a motor vehicle. Nor am I doing this to label corn as a hidden evil. I am considering this a brief personal experiment in understanding our agricultural system. At a time when one of the most essential of all ingredients is so endangered, can I go without it? Is giving it up a viable option?
Here are the rules: I will avoid actual corn, and corn-derived products. No car trips, no Splenda, no HFCS, no cornstarch, no commercial hot sauces, no meats unless I am sure the animals were not raised on grain, no dairy. I will read labels (which I do anyway) and ask questions. Next week, I’ll report back and then we’ll all find out how I did and how long I lasted. If this sounds like an interesting challenge to you, join me.
UPDATE: If you’d like to see how my week-long corn-free week went, you can read the story here.
This will be interesting. This will be as difficult as avoiding products coming from China. I was shocked to see that except for a few months in the summer, our garlic and snap peas (to only name a couple) come from China. Why can’t it come from the States?
I think your quest will be more difficult.
The area in which I live has had no drought trouble but just west of us towards Toronto is a marked difference.
Corn isn’t only in food or fuel. Its also in building materials, paper products, plastics, and I’m sure a whole lot more. This whole country is built on corn.
Wow! This will be interesting, and I look forward to hearing your full report. I won’t be joining you though! I’m right in the middle of my mid-summer corn-tasia!
I’ll be really curious to learn about your experience. In Missouri it’s required that ethanol be at least 10% of all gasoline sold, so unless you shun your car entirely, it’s hard to avoid consuming corn in this way (we actually walk more than we drive – typically we drive under 2,000 miles a year – so we’re better positioned than many in this regard). And I guess I kinda sorta knew that corn was in so many foods, but it wouldn’t occur to me that dextrose (just to use one example) was corn based. Really interesting post – thanks.
I’m feeling a little guilty right now. The corn up here on the Wisconsin-Michigan border has been exceptionally sweet and early this year. I had great corn in mid-June and even better corn in August. We did notice smaller kernels, though.
Randi, it is being interesting. I am shocked, too, about the vegetables. A lot of our winter produce comes from South America, it seems, but China?
Dr. M, I am finding out more every day.
Chowgirl, I do not blame you. Corn-tasia is about right! And that corn broth recipe on your blog is genius.
kitchenriffs, you are welcome. We don’t drive all that much either – most of what we need can be achieved by walking or riding the El; that is one thing that is not being a challenge, yet.
Mimi, please, no guilt! I am really glad your part of the world is having a good crop. BTW, I am getting emails from friends who say that this post has inspired them to… go out and buy corn. Good! The kind of corn I’m talking about is not the people food kind.
Go, Plummy, go. Will look forward to your update. It’ll be interesting to see what happens.
Marion, This appeared on one of our Canadian news agencies (QMI) today, specifically their canoe news site. It’s a great chart of how much corn we encounter in a day. It’s even in fireworks and crayons! Marion I will be REALLY thinking of you. Quite timely to your article.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Environment/2012/08/14/corn1000.jpg
Thanks, Plummy! It is quite a labyrinth.
Randi, that is one interesting graphic. Every day I find out more. It’s pretty amazing.
Giving up corn in food isn’t that hard. Start with saying no to all processed foods and you’re halfway there (that will make up for the fact that you’ll be buying more expensive unprocessed foods). You’ll end up learning to make a lot of things from scratch, but with judicious label reading you can still shop in a normal grocery store.
Giving up *all* corn based products is a much harder thing for most people. Where is the ingredient label on the plastics and other materials we use daily? How do you get to work without gasoline? The alternative to corn ethanol is MBTE, which is *much* worse for the environment than corn.
ShortWoman, were you able to see my follow-up post on the challenge? I agree, the food part was simple. Everything else was truly a challenge – in fact, it was impossible. I can get to work without gasoline because my commute is part walking and part subway, but for many of us, the world is structured around commuting in a vehicle. And that is only a shadow of the whole. I did not realize how utterly corn permeates our daily life until I embarked on this.
I’m allergic to corn, so this is the way I live. I can handle some of the more processed forms (maltodextrin, etc.) without getting immediately ill, but feel a general sense of malaise if I don’t avoid them. I’ve also had to start making a lot of homemade health and beauty products because many of them are heavy on the corn. Also reducing the plastics I use, etc… When I first became aware of the allergy (about a year ago) it was a shock to uncover all the layers of corn I was living in. But, once you get used to what you can and can’t have, it is very doable. Grassfed beef tastes better anyway, amiright?
Good luck with your experiment!