When inspection is necessary state officials from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspect the corn using United States Department of Agriculture standards. When corn is graded not every piece of corn is looked at. A representative sample is obtained from the truck where the corn is stored and it is graded. Corn is a type of grain and grain standards are set according to weight, foreign material and damage. Once corn is graded, it is ready to be shipped off the farm.
Corn is shipped from the farm in trucks and trains.
A long time ago, most farmers grew only enough corn for them to use for feeding their animals or families. If any corn was then left over they then put it into a horse and buggy and took it to the local grist mill. This mill would then grind the corn up to make animal feed or corn flours. Most corn in North Carolina is used for animal feed. Some farmers drive the corn straight from the farm to a grist mill where it is then turned into feed.