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