As you drive across the state, it seems like the rows of corn and soybeans are endless.

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As someone that grew up on the east coast, whenever I went to conferences in the Midwest, we were always shocked at how much corn there is.

Now having moved to the Midwest, I love driving and seeing this endless sea of green in the summer growing months. So, it had me wondering, who grows the most corn and soybeans in the state?

Each year, the USDA and the National Agricultural Statistics Service puts out an annual Iowa Agricultural Statistics report that breaks down the previous year's agricultural data to provide state and county profiles.

Top Corn Counties in Iowa

According to the most recent report, in 2021, Iowa continued to rank number one in corn for grain production. Farmers across Iowa produced a total of 2,552,250,000 bushels of corn for grain.

nass.usda.gov
nass.usda.gov
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The top counties for corn in Iowa were mainly located in northwest Iowa. The top five corn counties in 2021 were:

  • Kossuth: 57,694,000 bushels
  • Pottawatomie: 50,219,000 bushels
  • Sioux: 46,890,000 bushels
  • Crawford: 42,655,000 bushels
  • Plymouth: 43,078,000 bushels
Photo by Jesse Gardner on Unsplash
Photo by Jesse Gardner on Unsplash
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In northeast Iowa, the top counties for corn production were:

  • Delaware: 37,252,000 bushels
  • Buchanan: 36,876,000 bushels
  • Fayette: 36,437,000 bushels
  • Butler: 32,987,000 bushels
  • Grundy: 31,617,000 bushels

Top Soybean Counties in Iowa

Iowa is the number two producer of soybeans behind Illinois. In 2021, Iowa farmers produced 621,850,000 bushels.

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nass.usda.gov
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The top soybean counties in Iowa are similar to those for corn. The top five soybean counties in 2021 were:

  • Kossuth: 12,380,000 bushels
  • Pottawatomie: 12,891,000 bushels
  • Sioux: 10,885,000 bushels
  • Benton: 10,579,000 bushels
  • Webster: 9,941,000 bushels
Photo by Meredith Petrick on Unsplash
Photo by Meredith Petrick on Unsplash
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In northeast Iowa, the top counties for soybean production were:

  • Gundy: 8,247,000 bushels
  • Fayette: 7,074,000 bushels
  • Butler: 6,233,000 bushels
  • Black Hawk: 5,541,000 bushels
  • Buchanan: 5,518,000 bushels

Besides Food, What Are Soybeans Used For?

Soybeans are becoming more and more versatile as people come up with more uses for them. Here is a list of non-food-based uses for soybeans.

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