Grow It
Benton County, Indiana, farmers really know how to grow it, putting our 237,402 acres of flat or gently rolling farm land to good use. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistical Service, Benton County ranks among the top 10 counties in Indiana for yield per acre on corn, soybeans, and hay:
| yield/acre | rank | crop |
| 4.38 tons | 1st | Hay ('04) |
| 53 bu | 7th | Soybeans ('05) |
| 166 bu | 10th | Corn ('05) |
Total yields, reported in the 2002 agricultural census, are equally impressive both in quantity and state ranking:
| total yield | rank | crop ('02) |
| 5,602,085 bu | 3rd | Soybeans |
| 18,233,153 bu | 4th | Corn |
Good local access to elevators and rail transportation make it easy to move these crops to market. An ethanol plant currently under development offers a local purchaser that will help increase local grain prices five cents per bushel. Other industries which depend on raw agricultural materials will find Benton County to be a gold mine.
Seven Hills Dairy in the northern part of the county and Treslong Dairy near Ambia are state-of-the-art dairy operations showcasing the latest in agricultural technology. Treslong is a 3,300-head operation bringing $16 million of investment into the community. In cleanliness, productivity, scale, and employment these operations are a credit to our county.
Historically, Benton County has always had strong agricultural output, often leading the state in corn and bean production. During the 1930s, the Hickory Grove Herd was a substantial basis of the U.S. Hereford livestock industry. Benton County also produced two outstanding racing horses, Honest George and the undefeated Dan Patch.
(photo credits from top: Farm Bureau / Pete Ruesch / Farm Bureau)