Illinois Corn Pins and Buttons

Midwestern corn motif with the quintessential exclamation OPE

A Iowa corn design, or shall I say an corn Iowa design?

Perfect for Midwest living

Perfect for Midwest living.

Illinois corn stalks climb towards the blue sky. Post work in Corel.

Downstate *is* more than just farmland but...there is a lot of corn. For real.

The early 1920s saw many corn hybridization attempts, but since basic genetic theory was inadequate at the time, it took well over a decade before they could be considered successful. When corn hybrids finally became commercially available, farmers were still reluctant to adopt them, but thanks to hybrid innovators like A. F. Crow, that began to change as demonstrations and field observations were held. By the mid-1940s, demand exceeded production and the new hybrid seed industry was up and running. Thanks to hybrid seed, today’s farmers are able to produce 20% more corn on 25% fewer acres than they did a century ago, which might explain why more than 95% of corn planted today is a hybrid variant.

Cheerful corn with Midwestern pride.

Yay midwest!

Midwest is best.

The midwest is the best!

For those born and raised in the midwest.

Midwest is best!!

Midwest.

The farms of Illinois in September -- tall corn and short barns. Photo taken near Waterman, Illinois.

Enjoying a bit of the grape while watching the local fireworks festivities. !http://ih1.redbubble.net/work.7600006.1.fp,375x360,black,off_white,box20,m,ffffff.jpg!

The dilapidated barn appears to rise among the cornfields, becoming an integral element of the natural landscape. Photo taken in Somonauk, Illinois. !http://ih0.redbubble.net/work.4147766.2.fp,375x360,black,offwhite,flat,s,ffffff.jpg!