Top 20 Most Read IL Corn Stories 2023
December 27, 2023
From the latest trends in clean energy initiatives to the challenges posed by ambitious fuel efficiency standards, check out our compilation of the top 20 most-read stories in IL Corn News in 2023.
- Gifts for Illinois Farmers
- Ways to Stengthen Illinois' Clean Energy Future
- Family Farmers and Free Trade Agreements are Behind the Wheel
- Extremely Ambitious CAFE Standards
- Knowing Your Fuel Options Can Save Your Budget and the Environment
- A Government Shutdown Could Impact Farmers
- Saving Private Farmers
- IL Corn Scholarship Period Open
- 20 Movies You May Not Know Have Illinois Corn in Them
- Best & Worst Decisions Illinois Farmers Made
- IL Corn Announces Scholarship Winners
- IL Corn Celebrates Rich Clemmons
- 5 Interesting Stories from Farmers During Harvest
- Legislative Team Strengthens Voice for Farmers
- T-Shirt Contest Winners 2023
- Stewart Recognized for Conservation Award
- New Interns Join Team
- Grab a Casey's Pizza in October
- SAF - A Takeoff Market
- Whiskey Competition Winners Announced

By Lindsay Croke
•
June 30, 2025
When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.