Different Ways Nebraska Corn Is Used (2024)

FAQs

What is Nebraska known for producing? ›

With monikers like the Cornhuskers and The Beef State, Nebraska is certainly famous for its production corn and cattle, but that's not all.

Uses of Corn. Bakery products (biscuits, bread, crackers, fillings, icing, macaroons, pretzels, cookies, crackers, wafers, etc.) Beverages, brewed (beer, ale, etc.) Food acids (citric, etc.)

In addition to being used to make livestock feed and ethanol, field corn is also used for human food products like cornstarch and corn syrup. And, while most of the corn grown in Nebraska is field corn, the state also is the nation's No.

On average, U.S. farmers plant about 90 million acres of corn each year, with the majority of the crop grown in the Heartland region. Most of the crop is used domestically as the main energy ingredient in livestock feed and for fuel ethanol production.

Nebraska is a leading US producer of dry edible beans, consistently ranking first in Great Northern production and in the top five for all dry edible beans, light red kidneys, pintos, black, and navy. Most of the state's production is in western Nebraska.

Corn is Nebraska's most widely grown crop, which is used to feed livestock and poultry, make ethanol and more. Local farmers harvest more than 1.6 billion bushels each year, ranking the state No.

This humble grain can be used to make everything from tortillas to cornbread. In fact, corn is a key ingredient in many of your favorite foods. It can be found in products like cereal, salad dressings, ice cream and even candy.

Corn has hundreds of uses. It is used to make breakfast cereal, tortilla chips, grits, canned beer, soda, cooking oil, and bio-degradable packing materials. It's the key ingredient in the growing medium for life-saving medicines including penicillin. Corn gluten meal is used on flower beds to prevent weeds.

Corn grows 4,000+ products

We can thank corn for the meat, dairy, poultry and eggs we enjoy. And for over 4,000 other everyday essentials – from medicine to soap to low-carbon bioplastics.

Corn is harvested using a combine, which performs several functions at once as it drives through the field. Highly sophisticated, many of today's combines are outfitted with GPS and other smart farming technology. A combine: Cuts the cornstalks and pulls the ears of corn into the combine.

What is corn best known for? ›

Corn is a tall annual cereal grass (Zea mays) that is widely grown for its large elongated ears of starchy seeds. The seeds, which are also known as corn, are used as food for humans and livestock and as a source of biofuel and can be processed into a wide range of useful chemicals.

This statistic shows the top U.S. states based on corn acreage in 2023. Iowa cultivated 13.1 million acres of corn that year, followed by Illinois, with 11.2 million acres planted.

It may surprise you that the majority of corn grown these days does not go to food production. It is used to make ethanol gas, batteries, plastics, crayons, whiskey, glue, and cough drops. Cornstarch (a corn derivative) is a common ingredient in hygiene products, matchsticks, and many medications and vitamins.

Corn is mainly used as livestock feed and to produce ethanol. Kansas also exports a lot of its corn to other countries. But corn is also a key ingredient in thousands of items we use every day and can be found in everything from crayons to fireworks! Corn has four main building blocks: starch, oil, protein and fiber.

Field corn (pictured above) is used for livestock feed, ethanol production, manufactured goods and a food ingredient in the form of corn cereal, corn starch, corn oil and corn syrup. Also called “dent corn,” each kernel has a small dent on the end of it.

Nebraska: The Beef state

Agriculture is the #1 industry in Nebraska and cattle production represents the largest segment of the industry.

Nebraska is probably best known for corn and beef -- don't worry, we have both in this lineup -- but it's also a state full of chefs aiming to serve much more than those two staples.

The state's largest manufacturing export category is food and kindred products, which accounted for $3.1 billion of Nebraska's total goods exports in 2023.

The Cornhusker State counts corn production as a leading crop, and its “Golden Triangle” of corn, livestock and ethanol production drives its industry. A major urban center in the state is Omaha, home to Warren Buffett, one of the world's richest men.