Though this wood and metal tool looks cumbersome today, it was a big improvement in processing corn at the time. It allowed farmers to hand-crank and strip the kernels from the corncob more easily than by hand alone. This allowed larger quantities of corn to be processed during the harvest season. Manufactured in Lynchburg, it is on loan from the Wickline family and on display at the Botetourt Museum of History & Culture as part of the “Home Grown: Botetourt’s Agricultural History” exhibit.
The history of corn goes back thousands of years. Early explorers brought corn from the Americans across the ocean, spreading it through Europe, Africa and Asia. Through selective breeding the kernels were made bigger and easier to digest.
In Botetourt corn is an important crop for food, livestock feed and seeds.
Today corn is one of summer’s favorite fresh foods. Learning where our food comes from is becoming increasingly important especially with this summer’s food-borne illnesses.
~ Botetourt County Museum of History & Culture
