Before the town of Little River, Kan., existed the Hodgsons had a homestead there. Generations later, the Hodgsons still recognize the importance of the Homestead Act, which spurred their ancestors to move out westward.
With both the Senate and House versions of the 2012 farm bill nearing the end-game, it’s clear that direct payments to farmers will be phased out. But coming in: More funding for crop insurance — though maybe not for everyone.
Kansas wheat farmers may be tied to the land, but their crop isn’t. Exports, imporant to the agriculture industry, get a boost from tours that show importers the path American produce takes getting to their shores.
The beef industry is bottle-shaped – large at the bottom and narrowing to the neck, where just four companies control the majority of the market. The bottom of the bottle, though, is populated by thousands of small ranch operations.
