978-1-4222-3326-9

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Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska

with corn in 2012, yielding more than 1.2 billion bushels of the crop. Only Iowa and Illinois produce more corn than Nebraska. Over 40 percent of the corn har- vested in Nebraska goes to producing ethanol, an alcohol that can be blend-

California, Texas, and Iowa. The first crop planted by Nebraska’s settlers was corn. This is still the most widely grown crop in the state. According to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, more than 8 million acres of land were planted

The Union Pacific Railroad’s Bailey Yard in North Platte is the world’s busiest train yard. On average, 139 trains and over 14,000 railroad cars pass through Bailey Yard every day.