Meat + Three

When you think of corn, you might think of the 90s metal band (spelled with a ‘K’ and embodying a raucous explosion of angst and anger). More likely, corn conjures images of a summer barbeque: bright yellow ears grilled, buttered, and eaten straight off the cob.However, the story of corn is more expansive and complicated than these contemporary reference points. Right now, industrial corn farming consumes 96 million acres of United States farmland (the US is the world’s largest producer of the crop). It receives billions of dollars in government subsidies every year, and it has turned the once-rich grassland of the midwest into the industrial corn belt, a vast monoculture with weak, pesticide-ridden soil.This week, we unpack the role that corn plays in our ecosystems, economies, and the experiences of farmers. We start with a story about organic corn being fed to livestock. Then, we dive into the world of ethanol, and learn why it may not be the answer to our energy needs. We explore the complicated politics