Corn is harvested for two main purposes: to collect the grain which is used for human and animal consumption and to collect the whole plant, stalks and cobs, which are used as feed for cattle.

The native North American Indians used only the grain from the com giant The early Western European settlers who adopted the cultivation of corn from the Indians, came to realize that corn stalks could be used to feed cattle over winter and pioneered the use of corn as a forage crop.