Description
Corn. Sweet corn dripping with butter at summer cookouts. Golden piles of DDGS waiting to feed cows and hogs. A plant-based fuel source.
Consumers’ mental image of corn may be a bit different than what farmers and ranchers first think of. They’re more likely to picture the cookout than the industrial uses. And there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a delicious, juicy ear of sweet corn. But there’s so much more to corn.
So one opportunity to increase ag literacy is to explain to consumes how corn impacts their lives in ways they probably don’t recognize. That means explaining how corn gets transformed into everyday goods.
Because different products use different parts of the corn kernel, you’ll have to start by giving consumers an idea of what a corn kernel is really made of. That’s where this 3D corn kernel comes in handy.
A 3D Model with 2 Sets of Facts
The 3D model comes apart into two halves. Each of them shows the anatomy of the corn kernel, with the different parts accurately sculpted. On one half, the germ rises above the level of the other kernel parts; on the other half, a hollowed-out spot shows where the germ fits.
Arrows label each part of the kernel: the hull, the starch, and the germ. On the other half of the model, another set of arrows shows what each part becomes. People process the germ into corn oil, use the starch for animal feed and plastics, and so on.
Because we sculpted the model out of a foam solid, it’s very lightweight (while remaining durable). It’s designed to be picked up and handled so that consumers can feel the 3D structure for themselves. We also gave the exterior a realistic paint job, and even created a customized base that fits the shape of the 3D corn kernel perfectly.
The high level of detail means you can give consumers a better understanding of corn — what it really looks like and how much it impacts their lives.
We developed a pull-apart corn kernel model as well, if you’re looking for even more detail. But this model right here is the golden oldie — the very first kernel model we designed.
