The drum major of the agricultural parade is corn, the Prairie Gold.

The needle of the corn compass points to Mitchell, a prairie town that is corn crazy and proud of it.

And it's home to the "agricultural showplace of the world," the Mitchell Corn Palace.

It was originally built to show off the fertility of South Dakota soil - and it's remained on the job, standing in downtown Mitchell for over 75 years.

View of the Corn Palace, 1914.

Mitchell's Corn Palace is built out of reinforced concrete, not corn. Every spring, however, its exterior is completely covered with thousands of bushels of native South Dakota corn, grain and grasses that are arranged into large murals.

Typical yearly themes are South Dakota Birds or A Salute To Agriculture

Locals take great pride in the Palace's "corn-septual art" and "ear-chitecture."

The Corn Palace has one more title - the World's Largest Bird Feeder

After Corn Palace Week ends

local pigeons and squirrels make a feast of the tasty murals