PORT HOPE -- Corn is king of the crop in Northumberland.
In addition to a new midway at the Port Hope Fall Fair this year, fair organizers are looking at Northumberland County's corn stocks for a theme that is fitting with the times.
"This has been one of the best corn crop growing seasons in memory," said Cobourg dairy farmer Camron Davidson who maintains 30 acres of Ontario's momentous grain.
Not only does corn serve as a symbol of both summertime BBQ fun and a night out at the movies, corn also has the potential to boost rural economies across the country through ethanol production.
Close to home, Kawartha Ethanol in Havlock produces 80 million litres of ethanol each year and there's also a plant in Oshawa, said Mr. Davidson.
An alternative to petrolium-based gasoline, ethanol is touted as a clean burning fuel that contains a high percentage of oxygen that encourages a more complete combustion of fuel thereby reducing harmful emissions. Unlike oil, ethanol is also renewable.
Corn is processed with enzymes and the 'mash' is distilled to produce a high quality alcohol. Fuel grade ethanol is about 99 per cent pure alcohol and has a number of important properties that make it an excellent fuel additive for the car.
"There are a lot of uses for corn," he said.
According to the Grain Farmers Ontario -- formerly the Ontario Corn Producers' Association -- field corn is Canada's third largest grain crop after wheat and barley and is the most important one in eastern Canada. Although field corn is grown in every province, approximately 70 percent of the Canadian crop is grown in Ontario, including Northumberland County.
Across Canada, approximately seven million tonnes of grain, including corn, are produced each year on 2.5 million acres of land. About 500,000 acres of corn are also grown for harvest as whole-plant silage.
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