Comments on: Corn threw its lot in with humanity (Pollan)

By: Eric Brown

Eric Brown — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 20:46:06 +0000

As a small-time field corn (and sweet corn) farmer, I question the validity of Pollan’s claim. Deer have certainly had no trouble eating my corn, despite their lack of opposable thumbs. Squirrels, hogs, cattle, and goats likewise have no trouble with whole cobs, although they might prefer the corn husked and shelled (so would I.) I’ve also seen plenty of random cases of isolated corn stalks or clusters of corn stalks growing in the field that I never planted.

By: Edman

Edman — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:29:11 +0000

(after doing some further reading)

Touche!

By: J. Clark

J. Clark — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 23:41:07 +0000

The discriminatory life of nature is absolutely glorious. “If we were to judge nature by common sense or likelihood, we wouldn’t believe the world existed.” Annie Dillard
There are many a flower that would live upside down if not for the bee.

By: Josh Sowin

Josh Sowin — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:29:12 +0000

Edman: It’s certainly a bit of truth wove into a mythic retelling. I just find the perspective interesting.

However, the difference between coconuts and corn is that coconuts can reproduce without human intervention. Corn cannot.

By: Edman

Edman — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:08:35 +0000

While it is an interesting point how humans and corn have filled a need for each other, I take issue with the statement that “The novel cob-and-husk arrangement that makes corn such a convenient grain for us renders the plant utterly dependent for its survival on an animal in possession of the opposable thumb needed to remove the husk, separate the seeds, and plant them.”

Would we say such things about a coconut? After all, it *is* rather difficult to get into them, in fact, a few degrees more difficult than corn, but I would not presume that a coconut requires opposable thumbs to open. That would just be silly. :)