What possible connection can an insect, a corn stalk, a tomato vine, and a clover have?
Lets start with the insect. When the boll weevil invaded the South from Mexico in the late 1800s, it destroyed cotton crops. Since most farmers depended on their cotton, they had to find other crops to grow. Unfortunately, they didnt know much about growing anything but cotton. Thats where the corn stalk comes in. Some college educators realized that farmers couldnt go to school to learn new farming methods. That meant the educators had to go to farmers and teach them. So farm demonstration agents were hired. One crop the agents wanted the farmers to grow was corn. Corn could be eaten by the family, could be fed to the livestock, and could be sold for cash. However, the educators found that the farmers were often not willing to try new farming methods. So they organized Boys Corn Clubs to teach the farmers sons new farming techniques. The parents would learn from the boys. The tomato vine entered the scene when girls decided the boys shouldnt have all the fun. They formed Tomato Cannin
