Drought

Missouri cattle rancher Ken Lenox is happy for several inches of rain from the remnants of Hurricane Isaac.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the Midwest drought, farmers are projected to make serious profits. But individual farmers will experience very different results.

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.