By Jessica Domel

In the field, restaurant and your home, grain sorghum is a small grain that packs a big punch.

Drive around Texas right now and you’re sure to see some of the high-energy, drought-tolerant crop. While some farmers are already harvesting the crop, others anxiously await their turn to bring in the colorful grain.

Sorghum, also called milo, is often used to feed livestock, but animals aren’t the only ones who enjoy sorghum.

Bakers and chefs of all types utilize sorghum in making gluten-free food. It can also be popped like popcorn or turned into a sweet syrup. YUM!

When it isn’t fueling our bodies, sorghum can also be used to fuel our vehicles in the form of ethanol.

It can also be used to save fuel in other ways. Homebuilders can now purchase spray foam insulation that contains sorghum.

On a similar note, you can safely send gifts to your loved ones, thanks to smaller pieces of sorghum insulation–packing peanuts. They’re biodegradable, too!

Although we may not see this tasty grain every day, rest assured the relatively small grain plays a big role in our everyday lives.