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
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-
54
Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska
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.