The Midwest is known for its bountiful and diverse agricultural production. Its fertile lands and waters provide ideal conditions for corn, soybeans, and wheat crops, as well as 15% of the country’s dairy products. Between the production of crops and livestock, the region produces $14.5 billion in annual agricultural sales. Farmers stand to gain $37 million for each 1% of cropland transformed—that’s $1.2 billion annually across the U.S. corn belt.

Source: Nature.org