It's State Fair time and as citizens of Indiana, we are celebrating Hoosier farming and natural resources. To be in the know about our local agriculture, here is a list in order of importance of the top 20 cash crops Indiana farmers produce:

1. Corn for grain
2. Soybeans
3. Hogs
4. Dairy products
5. Chicken eggs
6. Cattle and calves
7. Turkeys
8. Greenhouse/nursery
9. Wheat
10. Hay
11. Tomatoes
12. Watermelons
13. Tobacco
14. Apples
15. Sweet Corn
16. Cantaloupes
17. Mint
18. Potatoes
19. Blueberries
20. Snap Beans

Corn and soybeans comprise more than 50% of our farmers' cash crops. So it is fitting that a corn product is the symbol of the 2013 Indiana State Fair - yummy POPCORN. But let me back up to share more tidbits about corn. It is one versatile plant. Corn is one of the basic "three sister plants." According to Iroquois legend, corn, beans, and squash are three inseparable sisters that grow and thrive together.

Indiana produces dent corn (field corn used for animal feed, ethanol, and a long list of extracted products), sweet corn, popping corn, and Indian corn for autumn decoration. You can enjoy corn on cobs or as hominy, polenta, corn flour, meal. Also known as maize, corn is one of the oldest crops, valued by humans and livestock for the energy its starch and sugar provide.

Just why popcorn pops is intriguing. Each kernel of popping corn contains both moisture and oil. As kernels are heated, steam pressurizes inside the hull, and starch in the kernel gelatinizes. When heated to the breaking point, the hull gives way and the crisp white fluff takes shape. Did you know a kernel of popcorn is a "flake?" The most common flakes are either butterfly (an irregular shape with wings) or mushroom (large ball-shaped). Butterfly flakes are more tender and fragile, having less hull. Mushroom flakes are often used for caramel corn. Both flakes can be found on a single cob of popping corn. There are cobs that can be put in microwaves so kernels pop right off of the cob.

Popcorn has come of age. The basic buttered popcorn is now being glamorized with white cheddar, nacho, caramel, garlic, herbed, kettle variations or pressed into cakes, balls, or squares. It's a great snack at the Fair, on a car ride, or at a movie. Creative commercialization has given us delicious blends such as the buttered, cheese, and caramel combination all mixed together. The recent twist of peppermint or chocolate drizzle for the holidays has elevated popcorn to the gourmet ranks.

Popped corn seems to be a staple in our childhoods. How well I remember getting little bags of the salty treat when trick or treating on Halloween. Another fond memory goes back to a time when I was visiting cousins who lived in Irvington. Having spent a long weekend with them, I expected the kind of Sunday evening supper we usually had at home, sandwiches, fruit, and a cookie. Not at my cousins. We were given milk and popcorn in front of the TV. . . as much as we wanted to eat while watching Ed Sullivan. It's amazing that more than 50 years later I still remember popcorn for dinner because it was such a novelty.

With the State Fair offering fun so close to Broad Ripple, this may be a good year to be a fair-goer. Beyond enjoyment of all the exhibits and attractions, a good bag of popcorn might just be a tasty treat.