All right buster, I accept the challenge. But just to make it interesting, let’s get our hair tested after the month is through, and see who really made November corn-free.

Your friend, IAN

I want to get my hair tested too. How do I? You could offer hair testing to raise money maybe? This was my friend Jen’s (of lifebeginsat30.com) idea after we met you on Monday.

Are you going to skip meat from animals that eat corn normally as part of their diets, such as chicken and pork? What about dairy from cows fed a diet partially supplemented with corn? Hey, you made your complicated bed, I’m just asking about the sheets.

Sam: you, me, and everyone we know! At Tuesday’s screening at least five of us were all wanting to prove how uncorny we are.

We love the idea of the corn challenge -- but I’m with you, Bonnie, in wondering about some of the finer points. Like, this being November and all, what about turkey?!

In any case, we know Curt and Ian are serious about this, so we’re helping to put together the King Corn Challenge page today. Watch for it soon.

And I’d love to get Curt’s or Ian’s take on the hair question. Guys? Is this doable for the masses?

Kim: since, as you know so well, we do tend to share thanksgiving together, I’m thinking about this challenge thing, and how to approach that particularly filling holiday.

I suppose we’d have to shoot a wild turkey, which might not be impossible; even it it does it eat corn sometimes, that’s outside of the industrial food chain, so I’d think that’s legit. Bread stuffing would definitely not fly. Wild rice might work. We’d have to find some particularly raw cranberries.

Hmm: sounds pretty doable, apart from the question of a shotgun and permission from your dad to blast one of his pet flock ;) Brings a whole new aspect to the question of a father-in-law and his shotgun, doesn’t it? But if it’s either a wild Turkey or Tofurky, I think I know which way the wind would blow.

ok - i don’t get it - why no bread stuffing? I don’t know about you - but my bread never has any corn in it. Am I missing something obvious here?

And what about heritage turkeys?

sam: okay, so maybe it is/will be possible to find bread with no corn residue. Or I can make my own. My uniformed guess is that just about any domesticated turkey is going to be raised on stuff that includes corn. But maybe I’ll have to get some advice from Curt and Ian on those topics...before I become a predator in the wild.

by the way, it appears that the automatic email notification of other comments is broken at the moment: we’ll try to get that fixed up soon.

Hi Sam, a quick check of Slow Foods links gives a great deal of information about the definition of Heritage Turkeys (very interesting actually), but it appears that, other than the way they are raised, their food source is not strictly defined. Mary’s Turkeys in Fresno notes the birds are fed the best of grains, but does not say which kinds (corn or not).

This becomes part of the interesting challenge in the Challenge idea -- how hard is it find a consistent corn-free food once you start considering that when grains become part of their diet, organic or not, corn is often “in the mix.”

Ian & Curt, your work is cut out for you!

WHOO HOO!

I’ve been waiting literally months for my chance to see this film. While I’ve waited I’ve been spreading the word even before I had a clue when and if anyone would get to see it. :)

I’m not quite corn-free but what corn I do allow has to be organic. Monsanto scares me big time. The CAFOs/deteriorating meat packing conditions both for the food and the workers are the big reason I went veggie so the meat issue isn’t as much of a problem though I do still eat eggs. But I’ve started getting them from pastured hens and whoa, what a difference. I didn’t realize until today when I mixed two eggs (organic, humane certified, etc, etc) that I had left over with one of the “easter” eggs. The yolk from the pastured one was much bigger and a deep almost orange color in comparison to the others. I did them over-easy and there was quite a taste difference too. I so want my own chickens now!

Anyway, like I said, I fear Monsanto so along with their milk hormone I decided I didn’t want to support them in anyway besides not wanting to be their guinea pig for the genetically tampered frankenfood (which has since become the bigger reason) so corn was axed. That meant dropping out of the regular corporate grocery stores and reading labels like crazy for awhile as well as going to websites to research the companies producing the foods. Oh, and finding out all the permutations corn takes and is called.

Well, I lost about 14 pounds without trying. I lost my near-constant cravings and frequent hunger pangs and I don’t need as much food to fill satisfied. My daughter lost 23 pounds and her ADD is now managed without meds.

Turns out it’s not more expensive really. First the packaging in the big stores is deceptive and with eating less and not supporting big pharma we are actually splurging much more often and enjoying it so much more.

And the amazing array of dishes I’ve discovered since are so fantastic it makes me wish I’d done this years ago. Absolute bliss.

But I’d have to say that other than the organic milk and some with the eggs (which are fed organic feed), we are down to mostly when we choose to eat corn such as organic corn chips and organic popcorn.

However, one way we did it was by replacing foods which displaced the icky ones over a few months. I thought I would eat up what I had on my shelves but I so liked the new food I ended up boxing the old and sending it on (and I felt guilty because it felt like dumping crap on someone else).

I also started thinking outside the lunch box in that we are so ingrained with what we think we should eat when. Breakfast foods? I like those better in the afternoon if I’m going to eat them at all. I’ll often eat roasted veggies or even soup now to start the day.

As far as traveling? Oh boy. PDX is a good city to find alternatives at restaurants but if I were you I’d stock up on some Lara Bars, nuts, apples, etc. Get an electric tea pot so you can make organic oatmeal in your room and maybe get some of the bulk instant soup mixes too. There’s a great lentil one and another is split pea.

Good luck and great idea for a challenge!

i will join your challenge... but i must say, it probably won’t be a huge challenge for me... i have been watching my corn intake for the past couple of years!!

Joe,

There is a way to sign up to join and support Curt and Ian... take a look at http://www.kingcornchallenge.com. Let them know how it is going.

Curt and Ian will blog about their diets over at kingcorn.net. Meanwhile, for others who want to join the King Corn Challenge, as Mark says, head over to kingcornchallenge.com. See you there!

I live this challenge as I have a corn allergy. You don’t have any idea how hard this is going to be for you.

Do you take medication? You can’t go corn-free if you are in the USA unless you are willing to pay for very expensive compounded drugs.

Eat meat? Even some organics have been rinsed with citric acid.

Oh that bottle or bit of plastic that you find the organic, corn-free food in? It is corn and thus has been contaminated by corn.

Welcome to my world. I know it is cheating, but I decided to join your challenge.

Pax,

MLO

Oh, by the way, there are only a very few milks from specific bottling plants that do not contain vitamin D suspended in corn oil, so, unless you are buying directly from the farmer - or have contacted the company and spoken to the LINE MANAGER - not customer service - you won’t know for sure.

Corn is literally in everything. It does not need to be labeled in certain foodstuffs or other products. I need to write a blog entry on this because I’m amused that some folks think they aren’t consuming corn. Even those of us allergic to it are forced to come into contact with it since it is in just about every medication in existence.

Oh, if you are ever given a dextrose containing IV, you have consumed corn. Saline IV only - and even some of those are contaminated. Also, not on the list is mineral oil in medications. It can be corn oil and not labeled. I found this out the hard way from suffering an anaphylactic episode.

Sorry for the second posting, but I am writing this very late in the evening.

Don’t get me wrong, I am THRILLED you are doing this. It might bring to light what those of us struggling with this allergy deal with day in and day out.

Pax,

MLO

#6 Sam - You can make bread stuffing if you make your own bread from scratch using Idun Yeast imported from Norway, or if you use bread from French Meadow yeast-free breads. Otherwise all other breads (in the USA anyway) will at least have yeast grown on corn.. not to mention corn meal on the bottom, corn syrup in it, egg wash on the top, or milk in it. Eggs from chickens who were fed corn. Milk from cows who were fed corn.

I guess it all depends on how “corn-free” you’re willing to go. I’d say it’d be commendable to avoid all obvious corn products, corn starch, dextrose, corn syrup, and citric acid. Just avoiding those alone would be pretty impossible for a lot of people.

Good Luck all! (PS.. I’m one of those cheaters who has a corn allergy, so I do this daily)

Oh and I forgot to mention that enriched products (flours/pastas/milks/juices) contain corn.

This is quite a game, though one I have been forced in to due to being extremely allergic to corn. Frankly, I would like to pick up my marbles and go home, but since I can’t, I have a practical question. Where can I purchase Idun yeast? I have gotten close--the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Houston told me they are out and are having problems with their supplier--to check back with them in a few months.

Just discovered that this documentary will be on PBS this week! Can’t wait to see it.

I’m pretty much corn-free already. . . not by choice. I do care about the politics of food, but my main reason for avoiding corn is I have a corn allergy (like some of the previous posters). Thankfully I haven’t had anaphylactic reactions to corn, but it is definitely an allergy rather than an intolerance. I cook everything from scratch.

I do get some corn oil in vitamin A and D preparations which are in milk (you can’t get unfortified cow’s milk in Canada plus I do need the vitamin D in the winter months). And there is corn starch in my antihistamine. . . and probably in the ascorbic acid in my apple juice. I seem to be okay with these highly processed corn additives (although corn starch in larger amounts = a reaction). I’ve also heard that bacteria for yogurt thrive on a corn-based medium . . .but I’m okay with yogurt. I’ve heard that some folks with a corn allergy aren’t, though.

Consumers who want info. on whether their food contains corn can be hard pressed to get answers. Companies in Canada are only required to give info. about the “top 8 allergens.” It is time for consumers to be informed about what is in their food!

I don’t specifically avoid corn-fed meat, although I prefer buying grass fed beef for other reasons . . . I have heard, though, that meats in grocery stores are generally treated with citric acid to preserve freshness (citric acid is often corn-derived).

I sure hope this documentary gets a lot of press!

Which commercially grown foods are low in corn? In other words, can my family eat broccoli, apples, garlic, asparagus tuna, ezekiel flourless bread, steel cut oats and other such “not visibly over processed” products from the regular market and get low corn?

Susan.. most fresh and frozen (plain) veggies are going to be “low corn”. They won’t be 100% corn-free as generally they’re washed or waxed with corn derivatives, but its not a big corn load (unless you’re allergic).

The Ezekiel breads are mostly corn-free. I’m unsure of the yeast, but they’re really low corn.
The corn-free foods blog has a list of corn-free foods if you’re interested.

Wow, thanks for answering! Yeah, citric acid is everywhere. I wonder if a good quality honey is okay. I think my yogurt, milk, etc is okay, but not sure, I get it from here:

http://www.cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/FarmID_80.html

We’ve avoided processed foods mostly but this corn thing is eye opening! We are rethinking meat and eggs.

I was so impressed by your documentary - and post watching it at 2:00 AM - I could not face the “hamburger” either - I am not totally against corn but - have now stopped buying anything labeled with “high fructose corn syrup” because of its link to metabolic syndrom. I think the FDA has not done its job unless it was trying to fatten America. More power to you - I think this documentary needs to air at prime time when the family can watch it and it needs to be on all the network channels.