Where America Grows: Mapping the Country's Crops

"After being astonished by the relatively high cost of corn in Kansas City (for the region is known more for its winter wheat), I began to explore the geography of different crops. And I stumbled across this amazing set of county-by-county crop maps put out by the United States Department of Agriculture," writes Samuel Arbesman.

The maps offer a revealing look into the geography of American agriculture. "For example, while cotton is associated with the South, it’s grown as far away as Arizona and California as well," he notes. "And guess where rice is produced? Pretty much just Arkansas, California, and Louisiana."