‘King Corn’ on television
An abundance of corn trivia
By Kim Carlson
April 4, 2008
If you missed the fun we had a couple of months ago with “King Corn” and the blog posts of co-producer and star Curt Ellis, now’s a good time to check them out (the first posts appear at the bottom; read bottom to top to get the full effect of the “corn challenge”).
Beginning April 15, PBS will show “King Corn” as part of its Independent Lens series; check local listings for times.
“King Corn” is a movie about corn and its prevalence in our national diet. But it’s also the story of two recent college graduates who decide to grow an acre of corn just to see how it goes — and where it goes (the corn, that is). The result is a documentary that’s informative while being respectful of different viewpoints — without selling the farm. Actually, there is a farm that’s sold, but, well . . . you’ll just have to see it for yourself.
We’re giving away three DVDs of “King Corn” this weekend. To win, place a comment on this post answering the corn trivia question below (thanks, Curt!). The nice thing is, you don’t even have to be right to win (we’ll do a random drawing). On Tuesday, April 8, at noon PST, we’ll put up the correct answer, and also announce the winners of the DVDs. Here’s the question:
“In what year did Americans first grow enough corn to have a surplus for export?”
If you don’t currently subscribe to the Culinate weekly e-newsletter, you can double your chances to win the DVD by subscribing between Friday, April 4, and Tuesday, April 8, at noon.
Good luck!
The winners have been drawn, and congratulations to Keith, Lily, and Judy as drawing winners. Plus a special copy and gift to Erica who was closest to the correct trivia answer of 1631...she was only 20 years off the mark.
Our Table | |
| Pull up a chair. Here’s the latest on Culinate, with regular dispatches from Editorial Director Kim Carlson. | |
- A matter of taste? — Let’s make a scratch cookie to rival the Pillsbury Bake-Off winner
- New bloggers on Culinate — We welcome two authors with just-published books
- ‘King Corn’ on television — An abundance of corn trivia
- The perfect food? — Eggs in a starring role
- Behold, this green thumb — Making time in your life to plant a small garden
- Weeknight dinners — Introducing recipes for uncomplicated meals
- Copious chocolate — We announce the contest winners
- Podcast: A baker’s resolve — Immigrant recipes, collected by Greg Patent
- Sprucing up — New look, new features on Culinate
- Peace in poultry — What can hens do for you?
- Podcast: Veggie tales — Mollie Katzen shares techniques for making the most of vegetables
- Ask Paul Johnson about fish — His new book helps us be smarter fish eaters
- ‘A cow, not a cup’ — The reach of Heifer International
- Fish forever — Paul Johnson knows his fish
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There are 67 comments on this item
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1. by amwhiteh on Apr 4, 2008 at 12:00 PM PDT
1954?
2. by Louise Brouillette on Apr 4, 2008 at 12:53 PM PDT
1890
3. by agordon10 on Apr 4, 2008 at 12:57 PM PDT
1200 bc
4. by ccarolyn on Apr 4, 2008 at 1:30 PM PDT
1994 :-)
5. by pinkii666 on Apr 4, 2008 at 1:42 PM PDT
corn is costly now
6. by fangirl on Apr 4, 2008 at 1:53 PM PDT
I will guess 1897 as that was apparantly a year with a great yield of corn. Yes, it is getting more and more expensive for dietary corn, as much of the corn is bieing produced for biofuels.
7. by JeanH on Apr 4, 2008 at 1:58 PM PDT
1972
8. by berwyn on Apr 4, 2008 at 2:14 PM PDT
2008
9. by Don Dyer on Apr 4, 2008 at 3:46 PM PDT
Ummm...1952
10. by neneelynn on Apr 4, 2008 at 4:56 PM PDT
I am guessing 1965
11. by banquetbabe on Apr 4, 2008 at 8:15 PM PDT
hmmm, 1959
12. by jbeckett on Apr 4, 2008 at 8:55 PM PDT
I’ll guess 1872
13. by AmberRose on Apr 4, 2008 at 10:37 PM PDT
My guess is 1896. Thank you for the contests!
14. by David Hollingsworth on Apr 4, 2008 at 11:00 PM PDT
I believe that is was 1810.
15. by anonymous on Apr 5, 2008 at 2:13 AM PDT
Possibly 1939
16. by maweisberg on Apr 5, 2008 at 5:04 AM PDT
2006
17. by Jason on Apr 5, 2008 at 6:29 AM PDT
1956
18. by William Wolff on Apr 5, 2008 at 7:11 AM PDT
1852
19. by sillelin on Apr 5, 2008 at 7:23 AM PDT
1952
20. by Sunnyvale on Apr 5, 2008 at 8:52 AM PDT
1948
21. by gypsy58 on Apr 5, 2008 at 11:41 AM PDT
1990
22. by madouglas on Apr 5, 2008 at 12:41 PM PDT
Hint: so far, nobody has even been close...think creatively about corn at bit, has been around a long time...
23. by anonymous on Apr 5, 2008 at 1:49 PM PDT
1952
24. by Brent Dotson on Apr 5, 2008 at 1:49 PM PDT
1492
25. by anonymous on Apr 5, 2008 at 1:59 PM PDT
They weren’t called “Americans” the first time corn left one the continents. This question is kind of confusing. Are you using “Americans” to specify the United States, or either of the two continents that were LATER referred to as North and South America?
26. by Colengal on Apr 5, 2008 at 2:37 PM PDT
1926
27. by Babalu on Apr 5, 2008 at 2:51 PM PDT
My guess is 1935.
28. by madouglas on Apr 5, 2008 at 4:04 PM PDT
Brent, too funny—1492, Columbus tries again to change the world! No, but now your thinking creatively...
29. by pwhite98270 on Apr 5, 2008 at 4:59 PM PDT
1493
30. by SamPDX on Apr 5, 2008 at 6:34 PM PDT
Well, corn is one of the big ones such as tomatoes and peppers so the US has been exporting it since before there was the USA. I guess it depends on the definition of Americans but since we are so egocentric to call ourselves that and our birthdate is 1776 then that’s my answer
31. by Susan Ledet on Apr 5, 2008 at 7:06 PM PDT
1852 or sometime around then.
32. by Michelle on Apr 5, 2008 at 9:55 PM PDT
1968
33. by samanthapayntr on Apr 6, 2008 at 12:40 AM PDT
i’m going with 1866
34. by anniehall4000 on Apr 6, 2008 at 3:36 AM PDT
1863
35. by Jen V on Apr 6, 2008 at 8:32 AM PDT
I am going with 1965.
36. by kewpiedoll04 on Apr 6, 2008 at 1:29 PM PDT
1847
37. by tandek on Apr 6, 2008 at 4:13 PM PDT
1950
38. by elyak on Apr 6, 2008 at 4:17 PM PDT
1956
39. by mariana on Apr 7, 2008 at 5:59 AM PDT
I will go with 1492.
40. by Sandra on Apr 7, 2008 at 7:04 AM PDT
1954ish -- thanks for sponsoring this contest!
41. by AICORP on Apr 7, 2008 at 8:12 AM PDT
no real clue but how about 1870
42. by bfox74 on Apr 7, 2008 at 10:18 AM PDT
I’m going real early and say 1799.
43. by bison61 on Apr 7, 2008 at 11:14 AM PDT
1756
44. by K. Cleaver on Apr 7, 2008 at 11:36 AM PDT
1976?
45. by saturdaynightfever on Apr 7, 2008 at 1:23 PM PDT
1802
46. by rosidentevil on Apr 7, 2008 at 2:35 PM PDT
1886
47. by blueviolet on Apr 7, 2008 at 2:50 PM PDT
1946?
48. by ladypawnbroker on Apr 7, 2008 at 3:33 PM PDT
I may be way off but I’m thinking it was around 1625.
49. by Susan White on Apr 7, 2008 at 3:34 PM PDT
I will guess 1493.
Thanks so much!
50. by cyph0r on Apr 7, 2008 at 4:07 PM PDT
urmm 1952?
51. by mark on Apr 7, 2008 at 5:07 PM PDT
1282
52. by keith james on Apr 7, 2008 at 5:08 PM PDT
1948
53. by madouglas on Apr 7, 2008 at 5:19 PM PDT
And just for fun, we will throw in a additional gift for the closest one to the actually answer—a Culinate GreenBag and perhaps something else?
Good luck—a hint, over the last couple of days, we had someone get really close with their answer.
54. by nesta67 on Apr 7, 2008 at 5:23 PM PDT
1952
55. by L McLendon on Apr 7, 2008 at 6:54 PM PDT
I’ll go with 1814
56. by Erica C. on Apr 7, 2008 at 7:53 PM PDT
1611 :)
57. by MissEmma on Apr 7, 2008 at 8:43 PM PDT
1892?
58. by JOYVEN on Apr 7, 2008 at 9:10 PM PDT
1955
59. by Charlene Kuser on Apr 8, 2008 at 1:37 AM PDT
1994
60. by bndraldy on Apr 8, 2008 at 2:05 AM PDT
1688 -- and that is my final answer! ;0)
61. by anonymous on Apr 8, 2008 at 5:57 AM PDT
lets calll it 1973
62. by Zipporah Sandler on Apr 8, 2008 at 6:04 AM PDT
1964???
63. by Thomas Hoh on Apr 8, 2008 at 6:58 AM PDT
I seem to remember that the colonies would ship excess to Jamaica in exchange for rum in the 16th century, so I will say 1510.
64. by michael green on Apr 8, 2008 at 10:14 AM PDT
Would you believe....1889?!?
65. by mrstrooper on Apr 8, 2008 at 10:38 AM PDT
1610?
66. by lilyk on Apr 8, 2008 at 11:59 AM PDT
1960
67. by madouglas on Apr 8, 2008 at 12:01 PM PDT
Well, some great answers, and some creative thinking, but it is time to close the contest and give you the answer to the trivia question (answer via Curt Ellis of King Corn).
It was way back in 1631 when we produced enough corn to actually become an exporter in America. In the same year, by the way, Corn became accepted as “legal tender” in the colony of Massachusetts. Now we think about burning food to fuel our cars... nuts, eh?
We will announce the winners once they are selected and notified.
Come back this Friday for a chance to get some Passover Chocolate Matzah and other fun treats.
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