The piece of land that was still empty this spring is now filled with a huge wall of corn plants in the autumn.
Ripe corn ready for harvest
In only a few months’ time, the plants have grown from a tiny corn kernel into plants of up 3 metres tall. This is often around the time of the harvest; the plant is fully grown and the corn kernels on the cob have become a dark shade of yellow. And you can’t squeeze them anymore.
Corn chopping
Corn is harvested in a process that is called corn chopping. A machine called a corn chopper cuts the stalk just above the ground, chops the plant and the cobs, and unloads the choppings into a trailer that is pulled by a tractor driving next to the chopper.
Nutritious and healthy
The chopped corn is then taken to a bunker silo or pit. In the bunker silo, a fermentation process starts where good bacteria break down the plant cells. This fermentation process makes the corn even more nutritious and healthier for the cows.
Join Anna as she watches how corn is chopped on the Heerikhuize family farm!
Check out our website for even more videos and fun facts.
