Drought

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.

Our listeners weigh in on how the devastating drought in the Midwest has changed the way they do business.

Many farmers in Tennessee tend their fields without tills to cut down on erosion, but they've found that their method also helps conserve water during droughts.

Farmers who've escaped the drought are pulling in high prices for their crops.

As one of the world's biggest agricultural exporter, the drought in the U.S. could impact food prices worldwide. In recent years, high food prices have initiated destabilization of the Middle East as well as Haiti.

Cattle ranchers in the Midwest face some tough decisions as their pastures bake with little to no rain.