As pioneers began understanding the versatility of maize, it quickly became their primary crop. Also known as corn, it could be dried and fed to livestock or ground into cornmeal and incorporated into their meals. The problem was corn is not a cold or moisture tolerant crop. Depending on the weather, the harvest could be bountiful or almost non-existent. As a result, surplus corn served as a form of currency and quickly became the basis of a commodity trading network.