After over five years in development the Indiana State Museum opened its Amazing Maize: The Science, History and Culture of Corn Saturday.  The exhibit will run for the next 16 months at the museum located in the heart of Indianapolis.  In those 16 months, Indianapolis will play host to two National FFA Conventions AND the Super Bowl.  Talk about the potential to reach out to the consumer.

A lot of companies came together to make this exhibit possible.  The Presenting Sponsors are Dow Agrosciences, Ford Motor Company and Case IH and National Starch is the Contributing Sponsor.  Not only was the exhibit supported nationally, but on the local level as well.  Locally, the Presenting Sponsor is the Indiana Corn Marketing Council; the Contributing Sponsor is Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance and the Supporting Sponsor is Brock Grain Systems.

The exhibit highlights the 10,000 year “genetic journey” that highlights the evolution of maize to our modern day corn.  Speaking of technological advancements, in one part of the exhibit they highlight the corn husking competitions that were held.  I was particularly proud – while the exhibit focused on the 1940’s, I thought about my family tree. My great-grandfather, Simon Oltman, was the Illinois Corn Husking champion in 1934.  With a total of just over 23 bushels of corn harvested he was named the “Dark Horse Husker from Woodford County”. 

If you’re ever in Indianapolis, take time to visit the Indiana State Museum and check out the Amazing Maize exhibit and take a walk through the history of a product that is a part of our everyday lives.

Jane Ade Stevens is the executive director of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and talks about why being a part of the Amazing Maize exhibit was important.  You can read more about Amazing Maize here.