Learning Something New

As we drove across Kansas this summer, we saw a lot of corn fields.

However, we also saw a lot of fields that looked similar to corn, but were just different enough that they couldn't be the same thing, and we wondered what crop was growing. Well, today I figured it out - Sorghum! And in case you were just as unfamiliar with this grain as I was, I'm here to tell you about it.

• Sorghum, Grain Sorghum: Any of various plants of the genus sorghum, family Poaceae, a cereal grain.
• Grain sorghum is the third most important cereal crop grown in the United States and the fifth most important cereal crop grown in the world. The United States is the world's largest producer of grain sorghum followed by India and Nigeria. It is a leading cereal grain produced in Africa and is an important food source in India. Leading exporters are the United States, Australia and Argentina.
• In many parts of the world sorghum has traditionally been used in food products and various food items; porridge, unleavened bread, cookies, cakes, couscous and malted beverages are made from this versatile grain.
• Traditional food preparation of sorghum is quite varied. Boiled sorghums are one of the simplest uses and small, corneous grains are normally desired for this type of food product. The whole grain may be ground into flour or decorticated before grinding to produce either a fine particle product or flour, which is then used in various traditional foods.
• Sorghum has unique properties that make it well suited for food uses. Some sorghum varieties are rich in antioxidants and all sorghum varieties are gluten-free, an attractive alternative for wheat allergy sufferers.
• Because of its neutral taste, sorghum absorbs other flavors well. For example, U.S. white sorghum has been exported to Japanese millers to be processed into flour. Japanese snack food processors have used the flour in research and recipe development, leading to commercialization of snack food products. It is anticipated that more white sorghum based products will debut soon both in Japan and in North America.
• Sorghum is also an important animal feed used in countries like the U.S., Mexico, South America and Australia. Good-quality sorghums are available with a nutritional feeding value that is equivalent to that of corn. Sorghum can be processed to further improve its feed value and techniques such as grinding, crushing, steaming, steam flaking, popping and extruding have all been used to enhance the grain for feeding. The products are then fed to beef and dairy cattle, laying hens and poultry and pigs, and are used in pet foods.
• As much as 12 percent of domestic sorghum production goes to produce ethanol and its various co-products. With demand for renewable fuel sources increasing, demand for co-products like sorghum-DDGS (distiller's dried grains with solubles) will increase as well due to sorghum's favorable nutrition profile.

Now you know as much as I do about sorghum. Don't you feel educated and smart? I think I'm going to be looking at some food labels when I go shopping today!

Although we enjoyed the beauty as we passed by the corn and sorghum fields, the sunflower fields were definitely the prettiest. Have a wonderful day!