fa f3 20
Wouldn't want to contradict your dad, but I think what you said
is wrong (at least in part.) The only thing I know sweet corn
is used for is "ears of sweet corn to eat" and whole corn we
find in our food. It MIGHT be the residue from sweet corn
processing is used for corn syrup and sweeteners, it makes
sense. But I'm pretty sure that field corn is used for things
like corn meal, corn flakes, and other food products that
contain a dry form of corn - besides livestock feed and back
country stills.

(Smelling field corn being dried in a
massive corn dryer is a sweet smell. The hired man tried to
tell me the liquid that came out was alcohol, I doubt it but
don't know - think he was just trying to get me to taste it.)
And I'm sure the corn futures are for field corn. The vast
majority of corn grown in the US is field corn. If I was to
make a guess, I would say it is at least 90% or 95%, but I
have no facts/documentation to back that up. Drive through
the massive fields in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska - that is mostly,
if not all, field corn. I think sweet corn is grown mostly by
contract to food processors - Green Giant in particular since
I see that here. It might be there is a higher percentage of
sweet corn in California or other areas of the country because
of their climate (2 crops a year?)
Of course, now I'm going to have to search the web to see if
I can confirm (or contradict) my statements.