Geography and climate are two of the most significant factors in determining which crops can be successful.
Areas of the lower Mississippi River valley crossing Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri are extremely flat – the soils and topography of these acres make for prime rice-growing conditions.
“For us, rice is like others’ corn. It’s our big money crop, the one that sustains our operations – until it doesn’t,” said Scott Matthews, 62, a rice grower from northeastern Arkansas.