So many people love fall, and it’s easy to see why! Cooler temperatures bring relief from the hot Indiana summer, apple cider and pumpkin spice reign supreme again, and the leaves begin their change from fresh green to brilliant reds, golds, and oranges. For Indiana’s farmers, fall is a favorite time of year because it means it’s time for fall harvest, and celebrating the rewards of a long spring and summer of hard work!

For many, the term “harvest season” calls to mind cornucopias full of pumpkins and squash, and images of big green combines working in fields of tall, brown stalks of corn. Did you know that not all corn is allowed to dry completely before it’s harvested? Or that corn is harvested in different ways for different uses?

Sweet corn and field corn are two of the different types of corn that are grown in Indiana, and both are harvested at different times for different uses. Sweet corn is what we all buy in the grocery stores or farmer’s markets for eating directly off the cob, freezing, or canning, and is harvested while the leaves and stalks are still green but the silks at the top of the ears are brown. Field corn is what goes in to livestock feed, ethanol, and used to make corn meal and corn flour. It is harvested in two different ways; either it is allowed to dry slightly then chopped, stalks and all, to make corn silage for livestock. Sarah from The Farmwife Crafts talks a little more about that, here!

The other way that field corn is harvested is after it has completely dried out and the stalks and leaves have turned brown in the field. This is done because corn needs to have a very low moisture content before it can be processed. To learn more about the differences between sweet corn and field corn, and the process of harvesting each, check out My Fearless Kitchen’s post, What’s the Difference Between Sweet Corn and Field Corn?

Fall isn’t just a busy time for farmers! Between school, after-school activities, and trips to our local apple orchards and pumpkin patches, everyone seems to be busier than ever this time of year! Have dinner ready and waiting for you when you get home from a long day with these awesome Slow Cooker Recipes!

Crock Pot Chicken Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce from The Crossroads Cook

Crock Pot Pork Loin Roast and Potatoes from Beyer Beware

Crock Pot Sweet Vidalia Onion BBQ Meatballs from The Farmwife Cooks

Funded with Indiana soybean checkoff dollars.

Glass Barn Info

1202 East 38th Street Indianapolis, IN 46205 | 317.347.3620
9am – 9pm during the state fair

This communication is funded with Indiana soybean checkoff dollars. The Glass Barn Website contains links to third-party websites.