We have raised popcorn since 1975 on about a 200 acres scale. Seed corn people always want the popcorn at least a half mile away. I have never had a problem with the popcorn right beside the commercial corn. Don't think we ever had the popcorn near sweetcorn though so don't know about that.
If you are going to use the popcorn yourself they say 13% is the best popping moisture. My Dad always saved a box of popcorn that he put on the washing machine and every time he walked by stirred it up until it reached that 13%, then put it in jars. I never saved corn right from the combine. There is a fair amount of small kernals that don't pop well, along with the grasshoppers. The professionals have a gravity shaker machine that seperates the kernals by density. So 100% of what we raise doesn't make it to the grocery shelf. And that is one reason why we get only $.22 per pound out of the bin compared to the grocery store price.
You would be amazed how many people don't know where popcorn comes from or even if there is a difference between popcorn and "livestock corn."
