Drought

New data from Gallup shows that 25 percent of Mississippi residents have struggled to feed their families at some point over the last 12 months. On average, 18 percent of respondents in the U.S. say they've lacked money for food at least once recently.

The aid, which dates from the Great Depression, could end when Congress acts on the next farm bill. The World Trade Organization has ruled it's an illegal subsidy, and legislators are looking for budget items to slash.

Both drought and heat are taking their toll on small businesses, but businesses find ways to get by and even prosper.

Cattle rancher Ken Lenox says farmers in Missouri are struggling with the Midwest drought. Some have resorted to tapping wells they haven't used in decades to provide water for their herds.

The Midwestern drought is taking its toll on the corn crop, but over the years, more and more acres have been devoted to corn.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack discusses what the drought will mean for farmers and food prices, and the administration's plans to try and help.

Out on the plains, drought is parching everything from corn to cattle. And when the prairie grass burns up, so does a business model that depends on it: ranching.

Even in severe drought, farmers who grow commodity crops such as corn and soybeans are significantly protected by insurance they buy from private insurers. The ultimate insurer in a disastrous year? Taxpayers.

Food banks across the plains are being hit with a triple whammy -- fewer donations from farmers, a decline in donations from the federal government and an uptick in demand.