These Midwest Farmers Cream the Corn Growing Competition
Yesterday was National Farmer's Day, so it got me thinking about Iowa's prominent role in agriculture and how that influences the way of life in the state. Besides, it seems fitting to celebrate our farmers as we near the end of the harvest.
Iowa farmers and their communities are unique to the world. They provide a nation with the food we eat and contribute in countless ways to our local, regional, and national economies.
Iowa agriculture is responsible for a direct economic output of $88.3 billion and more than 315,000 jobs contributing $17.57 billion in wages, according to the Iowa Farm Bureau and the sixth annual Feeding the Economy report.
It may not always be glamorous, but what other professions can claim such a production level and contribution as the family farmer?
The largest United States crop in total production is corn, most of which is grown in the Corn Belt. The second largest crop grown in the United States is soybeans.
Approximately 96 million acres are reserved for corn production in the United States. The U.S. is the largest corn producer globally. So, while most states plant and produce corn, the vital crop is grown chiefly in the Heartland.
North & South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky are the primary states of the Corn Belt.
Since the mid-1800s, the Corn Belt has dominated corn production in the United States. Still, Iowa leads the way as the number one corn-growing state.
THE TOP TEN CORN-GROWING STATES (Million of Bushel)
- Iowa - 2,552 (Million of Bushel)
- Illinois - 2,191
- Nebraska - 1,854
- Minnesota - 1,395
- Indiana - 1,027
- Kansas - 750
- South Dakota - 739
- Ohio - 644
- Missouri - 548
- Wisconsin - 547