East Central Reporter

Today marks Illinois Sweet Corn Appreciation Day, a celebration of the state's designated vegetable. Residents are encouraged to partake in the festivities by enjoying locally grown sweet corn.

In honor of this day, here are twelve notable facts about sweet corn:

- Native Americans used sweet corn leaves as chewing gum.

- While often classified as a vegetable, corn is both a grain and a fruit.

- Sweet corn cobs consistently have an even number of rows.

- The tallest recorded sweet corn plant reached 35 feet and 3 inches.

- An acre of corn can remove eight tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

- Corn cultivation occurs on every continent except Antarctica.

- The United States produces roughly one-third of the world's corn; however, only 1% of American-grown corn is sweet corn.

- Sweet corn exists in various colors including black, blue, green, grey, purple, red, white, and yellow.

- On average, one ear of sweet corn contains 86 calories.

- Sweet corn is free from cholesterol.

- Illinois ranks second nationally in overall corn production.

- Over half (53%) of Illinois-grown corn is exported due to surplus production.

Additionally, there is an ongoing effort to protect family farms in Illinois. The estate tax has long posed challenges for these farms as they are often sold to cover inheritance taxes. Advocates argue it is crucial to enable family farmers to pass their land onto future generations without having to sell it off to large corporate or foreign entities.

A petition has been launched seeking support for measures aimed at safeguarding family farms in Illinois.