What's Popping? National Popcorn Popping Month and all the things about popcorn you never knew??

Okay, I have to admit, I LOVE POPCORN!!  I love it at the movies, I love it with caramel, I am especially fond of kettle corn.  And, I can defnitely eat my share of popcorn.  But, in celebration of October and National Popcron Popping month,  I decided it was time to learn more, and learn I did--did you know popcorn even has it's own national board??  Well, check out the info below, and especially the fun facts towards the bottom, cool stuff about popcorn, who knew??  Another great product courtesy of American Agriculture!!

All info below comes from:
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa011501b.htm

Next time you're at the movies, with every crevice of you mouth stuffed with hot, buttery popcorn, think about this: The U.S. produces 498,000 TONS of popcorn every year, of which 103,000 tons is exported. That's more than would fit in the Mammoth Cave-sized tub the kid at the refreshment stand tried to sell you. Why, that's so much popcorn, we must need the oversight of the United States Popcorn Board.

The U.S. Government Popcorn Board comes from the Popcorn Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act signed by President Clinton, a big fan of popcorn, on April 4, 1996. Just so you'll know I am not making this up, here is a link to the actual law: [7 U.S. C. 7481-7491]

If you love the stuff, you will be happy to know that the Popcorn Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act tells us right off the top, that no lesser authority than the U.S. Congress finds, "popcorn is an important food that is a valuable part of the human diet." See. mom? Congress says so.

The nine-member Popcorn Board works to expand the popcorn market by conducting special promotions, research, and informing consumers of the qualities and economic importance of popcorn.

Membership is currently limited to nine U.S. processor chosen from among all processors who typically distribute over 4 million pounds of popcorn annually. Members are appointed to the board by the Secretary of Agriculture from a list of nominations submitted by the industry itself.

Funding for the board comes from assessments collected from all U.S. popcorn processors who distribute over 4 million pounds per year, with annual individual assessments limited to $81,000.

Under this arrangement, the popcorn industry itself pretty much covers the cost of the Popcorn Board.
The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) monitors the Popcorn Board's administration of the program.
Popcorn Production, Export and Import

According to the latest Census of Agriculture (Census) data, domestic production of popcorn totaled over 996 million shelled pounds in 1997. Popcorn is grown in 25 States. According to the Census, the top five major popcorn-producing States in 1997 were Nebraska (27 percent), Indiana (21 percent), Illinois (13 percent), Ohio (9 percent), and Missouri (6 percent).

U.S. exports of popcorn totaled 206 million pounds in 1999 (down from 219 million pounds in 1998), with a value of $58 million (down $8 million from 1998). Popcorn was exported to over 90 countries. The two largest export markets in 1999 were Mexico (with 17 percent of the poundage exported) and Canada (with 14 percent). Other major destinations for U.S. popcorn included Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, the Philippines, and Japan.

Nearly all of the world's popcorn production is in the United States, and imports are usually minimal. In 1999, only 0.3 million pounds were imported from all countries. Normally, small amounts are imported from Canada and Argentina.
The U.S. Popcorn Board

**PoPcOrN FaCtS and FuN!!** Running out of things to say to your blind date? Then pop up with some of these tidbits:

•In an average bag of popcorn, the number of yellow kernels will outnumber the white ones by 9 to 1.
•It is believed that popcorn was the very first form of corn to be cultivated.
•The oldest ears of popcorn ever found were discovered in the Bat Cave of west central New Mexico in 1948 and 1950. Ranging from smaller than a penny to about 2 inches, the oldest Bat Cave ears are about 5,600 years old.
•In southwestern Utah, a 1,000-year-old popped kernel of popcorn was found in a dry cave inhabited by predecessors of the Pueblo Indians. (There may be older ones than that under a cushion of my sofa.)

•Americans today consume 17.3 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year. The average American eats about 68 quarts.
•The ancient way to pop corn was to heat sand in a fire and stir kernels of popcorn in when the sand was fully heated.

•In 1945, Percy Spencer discovered that when popcorn was placed under microwave energy, it popped. This led to experiments with other foods, and the birth of the microwave oven.

**WhY PoPcOrN PoPs!**

Each kernel contains a small drop of water inside a circle of soft starch surrounded by the hard outer surface. As the kernel heats, the drop of water expands and pressure starts to build up. When the hard surface eventually gives way, the popcorn explodes. During the explosion, the soft starch inside the kernel inflates and bursts, turning the entire kernel inside out.

Varieties of popcorn are grown to pop into two distinctive shapes: "snowflake," the large popcorn sold in theaters and ball parks; and mushroom, the smaller variety used in popcorn candies and snacks.