Cornfed: Family-Owned Farms Feeding the Economy
Karah Perdue, her husband and their four kids – Annah, 15, Lane, 13, Bennett, 10 and Jase, 8 – are farmers in York, Nebraska. The Perdues have invested millions of dollars into their farming operations, and in the words of Karah, “it’s a small business with large equipment.”
No one cares for the land more than farmers. Karah’s family still calls the land they own “Howard’s Land,” after the original landlord, Howard E. Dickey. Even decades after Howard’s passing, Karah and her family of farmers still honor the love, grit and work Howard put into the land, promising to ensure it thrives for generations to come.
Howard E. Dickey
The contributions farmers make have a ripple effect throughout the U.S. economy. Farmers contribute both on the local and national levels by adding to the overall economic well-being of their communities through job creation and tax contributions.
Agriculture, food and related industries
contributed $1.264 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021 and in that same year jobs related to agriculture accounted for 10.4% of total U.S. employment – 19.6 million full and part-time jobs. The property taxes paid by Karah and her family contribute not only to the U.S. economy in its entirety but also to local schools and government in her town of York, Nebraska.
Karah’s farming operations support local economies and her community as she purchases inputs from local stores – mom-and-pop shops employing dozens of people in her town – that sell the essentials such as fertilizers, chemicals, equipment and more. Her story is just one of many that showcase how the agriculture industry empowers economic growth. For example, Karah’s neighbor, operates a farm and owns a soil testing business that’s utilized by the local farmers. Farming families, like many corn producers, are heavily involved in their local corn boards and farm bureaus that provide scholarships to students, support fundraising events and activations and more. These dollars are directly invested back into the communities where farmers live, work and raise families.
Corn farmers, like Karah, whose farms support ethanol production, make a direct economic impact on consumers’ wallets. When blended with gasoline, corn-based ethanol provides drivers with a low-cost, low-carbon fuel option at the pump and as a result helps Americans save money, strengthens our nation’s energy independence and cleans up the transportation sector.
Learn more about corn-based ethanol.
Karah's farm supports all areas of agriculture economic growth, but also community growth. That’s cornfed economic impact.
THE BIOFUELS EFFECT
Each year, roughly 30% of field corn goes into fuel ethanol. Ethanol is the second-largest customer for U.S. corn. Corn ethanol is uniquely positioned to play a larger role in the future of transportation fuels.
52% FEWER GHG
EMISSIONS
Compared to gasoline
