The “Big First” district of Kansas, a leader in cattle and wheat, was the top congressional district in the 2007 census but now ranks third in sales and may be sixth in farm numbers. While Smith voted for the 2014 farm law, Tim Huelskamp, who represents the “Big First,” voted against it. Both men own strongly conservative voting records and credit Ronald Reagan for their entry into politics. Neither is on the House Agriculture Committee.
Smith’s district covers the western three-quarters of Nebraska. It gained 5,000 farms in the redistricting that followed the 2010 Census. The Big First, sprawling over 63 of Kansas’ 105 counties, lost nearly 4,000 farms since the 2007 Ag Census. The 7th District of Minnesota, represented by Collin Peterson, was second among the long-time powerhouse districts for number of farms with 33,431. Iowa’s 4th District – the northwestern quadrant of the state, was second in sales at nearly $17 billion. Oklahoma’s 3rd District, home to House Agriculture Committee chairman Frank Lucas, was No 7 for farm numbers with 30,326.
USDA released profiles of the ag sector in each congressional district on Monday. It is expected to release the national rankings of the districts later this year. The rankings for this story were based on comparison of sales and farm numbers for the top districts in 2007.
The district profiles show the productive power of agriculture but also reflect the long-term decline in the farm population. Even in the districts with the largest number of farms, farm operators are a small part of the overall population. Smith’s district in Nebraska has 55,000 farm operators out of 608,000 residents. Peterson’s district in Minnesota has 49,000 farm operators and 661,000 people.
USDA says its district by district profiles “paint a picture of agriculture at the local level by providing data on farms and ranches and the people who operate them in each district.”