After living in thirteen states, I didn't think I could be surprised by the United States. Kansas is one flat flat flat place. After TX, we headed north for Dodge City KS to see Boot Hill. Driving, we passed mile after mile of corn fields, I wondered why more people don't fall asleep at the wheel. It amazes me how much of our country is devoted to growing corn by big corporations. In 1996 we grew old fashioned corn from corn seeds. By 2011, 72% of corn and a whopping 96% of soybeans grown are genetically modified.
In1850 64% of our population farmed on an average of 203 acres of land. By 1990 just 2.6% of Americans were farmers; the average farm is now 461 acres. In the year 2000 over 72 million acres were dedicated to growing 10 billion bushels (of the 23 billion bushel world crop) of corn. 80% of this crop is used for animal feed (livestock, poultry or fish).
It takes approximately 16 lbs. of grain to make one lb. of beef, or 72 lbs of grain to make a 72 oz. steak. . .
It's hard to know what to do with this information. I've read these numbers before, but seeing the steak bonanza in Armadillo then driving past so much corn really brought home the idea that something is very wrong with what we eat.
In keeping with the theme of this post, Dodge City KS was interesting; I love seeing the relics of another time, tiny dresses for tightly corseted women, old rifles used to gun down outlaws, etc. The town was founded in 1872 and quickly became the world's largest shipping point for longhorn cattle.
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