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| Since the federal government passed a law in 2007 requiring oil companies to add ethanol to their gasoline, demand for corn has increased, sending farmers looking for new places to plant. |
| Here are Corn Belt counties that have seen large increases in corn planting (greater than 21,000 acres), ranked by the percentage increase since 2006. This table reflects those places where farmers have planted significantly more corn, both in terms of raw acres and as a percentage. |
| All data come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. |
| STATE COUNTY CHANGE PERCENT |
| NORTH DAKOTA BOTTINEAU 25,300 843% |
| MINNESOTA MARSHALL 27,500 519% |
| SOUTH DAKOTA HAAKON 24,000 436% |
| MINNESOTA POLK 86,500 326% |
| NORTH DAKOTA MCLEAN 48,800 321% |
| NORTH DAKOTA WALSH 44,300 286% |
| NORTH DAKOTA MERCER 21,800 279% |
| NORTH DAKOTA GRAND FORKS 101,500 251% |
| KANSAS SUMNER 29,200 247% |
| NORTH DAKOTA EMMONS 102,000 224% |
| NORTH DAKOTA LOGAN 44,900 219% |
| MINNESOTA CLAY 96,700 204% |
| KANSAS JEWELL 25,400 194% |
| NORTH DAKOTA WELLS 64,700 185% |
| NORTH DAKOTA MCHENRY 40,500 184% |
| NORTH DAKOTA STUTSMAN 138,000 184% |
| NORTH DAKOTA PIERCE 22,900 176% |
| NEBRASKA CHEYENNE 37,800 172% |
| NORTH DAKOTA MCINTOSH 38,100 169% |
| MINNESOTA NORMAN 67,800 165% |
| NORTH DAKOTA CASS 221,500 158% |
| KANSAS SMITH 29,400 146% |
| MINNESOTA BECKER 37,300 143% |
| NORTH DAKOTA FOSTER 36,200 139% |
| NEBRASKA DEUEL 22,100 138% |
| SOUTH DAKOTA HYDE 41,300 131% |
| NORTH DAKOTA MORTON 44,200 126% |
| NORTH DAKOTA BURLEIGH 35,300 122% |
| KANSAS RAWLINS 55,200 121% |
| NORTH DAKOTA BENSON 40,800 120% |
| NORTH DAKOTA BARNES 106,500 118% |
| NORTH DAKOTA GRIGGS 23,000 115% |
| SOUTH DAKOTA LYMAN 32,700 113% |
| NORTH DAKOTA KIDDER 22,900 109% |
| NORTH DAKOTA STEELE 57,500 106% |
| KANSAS MARION 22,000 102% |
| KANSAS CHEYENNE 37,800 102% |
| SOUTH DAKOTA FAULK 71,000 100% |
| NORTH DAKOTA RANSOM 56,000 93% |
| KANSAS GOVE 40,900 91% |
| KANSAS SHERMAN 78,700 89% |
| MINNESOTA WILKIN 49,800 89% |
| INDIANA VERMILLION 23,200 87% |
| NEBRASKA SHERIDAN 24,000 86% |
| SOUTH DAKOTA SULLY 56,500 85% |
| SOUTH DAKOTA MCPHERSON 40,100 84% |
| KANSAS MARSHALL 49,500 80% |
| KANSAS WALLACE 35,000 80% |
| SOUTH DAKOTA DAY 55,000 79% |
| SOUTH DAKOTA MARSHALL 51,500 79% |
| The AP focused on counties that increased corn planting by more than 21,000 acres because they represent the top 25 percent of counties based on increased corn acreage. |
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