Illinois Is A Farming State (Chicago, Peoria: insurance, home, live)

[linicx]

The Grain and Livestock Belt of the Midwest is centered in Illinois and Iowa and includes portions of Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and North and South Dakota. The top two producers, Iowa followed by Illinois, harvested nearly four billion bushels of corn in 2001.

Illinois is a leading producer of corn, soybeans and hogs. Cattle, wheat and oats are three of 17 other thirteen farrm related exports. Twenty-eight million Illinois acres are divided among 78,000 farms that average just under 400 acres each. At 7% of gross domestic product, Illinois is the second largest U.S. exporter of soybeans, feed grains and related products. More than 44% of Illinois corn is exported. It has more than 950 food processing companies adding $13.4B annually to the value of Illinois raw agri-commodities. Most of the processors in Chicago making it the #1 home for food based business in the world. `

The marketing of Illinois agri related commodities generates more than $9B annually. Of this approximately 3.6B is from corn. Each year 274M bushels are used to produce 678M gallons of ethanol.

Illinois ranks third nationally in total prime farmland acreage. The central 3/4 of the state is best suited for growing, while the hilly areas in the North and south are best suited for grazing.

Illinois can do this due to its transportation system. It is 1100 miles of deep channel rivers, 2000 miles of Interstate roads, the largest rail gateway in the nation and a 1100 airports - of which much of the exports travel through the gates if the thirds largest City in America. .

Peoria, Illinois is the oldest community in ILlinois. It is the third largest MSA behind Chicago and the East St. Louis area. It is ranked ahead of St. Louis in U.S. agriculture and manufacturing exports.

Corn Belt — Infoplease.com

http://www.nowandfutures.com/d2/US_C..._lp324-01b.pdf

 Illinois Department of Agriculture

http://dnr.state.il.us/education/CLA...FactsFinal.pdf

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[Jons99]

Making that kind of statement is like saying California and Florida are farming states.. Even though there is farming here, it makes up a minor fraction of the economy and a percentage that continues to shrink.

Illinois is also a banking state, a technology state, an insurance state, manufacturing state and just about every other sort of industry state...

[Central Illinois 1]

Where is this post going??

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Jons99

Making that kind of statement is like saying California and Florida are farming states.. Even though there is farming here, it makes up a minor fraction of the economy and a percentage that continues to shrink.

Illinois is also a banking state, a technology state, an insurance state, manufacturing state and just about every other sort of industry state...

What's your problem Jons, you got something against Illinois being an important farming state? Shame?

[linicx]

Originally Posted by Jons99

Making that kind of statement is like saying California and Florida are farming states.. Even though there is farming here, it makes up a minor fraction of the economy and a percentage that continues to shrink.

Illinois is also a banking state, a technology state, an insurance state, manufacturing state and just about every other sort of industry state...

Your nonsense has nothing to do with Illinois farming. Instead of trying to hijack threads, why don't you try to start one?

[Jons99]

Just wondering why people continue to say things that are so obvious.. ALL states are farm states, so why mention it?

[JoshB]

Jons, I think Illinois has a more farm based economy then say Kentucky, Alabama, New Mexico, Washington, Maine.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Jons99

ALL states are farm states, so why mention it?

Well Illinois is a particularly important farm state bubba. Maybe the farmers here would like to discuss that, is that OK with you? Or should we run that by you first?

My Grandfather said he could raise more on 10 acres in Will County than he could in the whole of County Mayo back in Ireland.

[linicx]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Well Illinois is a particularly important farm state bubba. Maybe the farmers here would like to discuss that, is that OK with you? Or should we run that by you first?

My Grandfather said he could raise more on 10 acres in Will County than he could in the whole of County Mayo back in Ireland.

My family has farmed Illinois continuously since 1856. Can you imagine what your grandfather would think about faming 300 acres with the modern machines farmers use today? A hundred years ago, 40 acres was a lot of land to farm with a single plow and a horse. Forty acres doesn't sound like much until you do the math. One acre is 208.71 feet per side

[Orwelleaut]

As someone who lives in the Appalachian foothills of Eastern Ohio and who recently made a road trip to Missouri, I think this thread makes plenty of sense. Central Illinois is exceptional farm land. The black prairie soil has to be some the richest farmland in the lower 48, if not on the planet. While this grade A farmland is, IMO, extremely boring to drive through on an interstate highway, and a little tough on the nerves for anyone who tends to be agoraphobic, it is still awesome to see such productivity. Central Illinois looks to be the closest thing this side of heaven if you are a farmer.