Really seems like it's all become so carefully curated and commoditized that the personality and rough edges and accidents that made any of it noteworthy have been hewn away. American culture is populated by what might as well be walking, talking avatars designed solely to billboard for Disney and Nestle and a few big corporate interests. But, wtf do I know. Maybe I'm just too old for this shit.
Of course not. Rich people are fucking weasels. How do you think they get rich? They weasel the system. They weasel the profits of other people's productivity. They leave death and chaos in their wake. They lie, cheat, steal and rewrite the rules to suit them.
Yeah, fresh manure can be pretty hot/high in free ammonia. If you can mix it in yearly piles with leaf litter and shredded garden clippings, and then use last years pile it's pretty safe. But, you don't know how rich it is without experimenting. Mixing some aged stuff into planting areas like 6 weeks ahead of planting and then side dressing a couple times over the grow season is what I've heard others do, but I haven't tried raw inputs like that myself. Not sure how much and all that.
Corn does need a fair bit of nitrogen to grow well, though. That much I'm sure about.
You can use a balanced fertilizer (same number across NPK values, like 10-10-10) if that's what you have. If you were buying something, I'd go with like a 6-3-3, or similar. Ideally, an organic fortified with ammonium sulphate (if my guess about your soil being alkaline is correct). There's quite a few kiln dried manure products made this way. Might ask at a local turf supply shop. They're gaining popularity and shops like that have large bags at good prices. Organic inputs tend to have micronutrients and supply what the soil bacteria need to improve the soil over time. They're like concentrated compost, in a sense. Problem with compost is you need a lot of it, by comparison, but it's better for soil health most of the time.
Spacing is pretty important, too. You want corn spaced about a foot apart.
That pale red soil looks nitrogen poor and alkaline. Needs compost or fertilizer worked in early. Corn is a heavy feeder. Mulch helps, too. Once pollen is up it's probably too late to amend. Every time you grow something is an opportunity to do it better next time, though. Don't be disheartened.
I know this sounds crazy, but hear me out: 2 bed covers. Then, every time it's time to wash one, as you go to switch 'em, you get her excited about the one that's been in the closet since last wash. No more sad times.