Agriculture

Agriculture. . Beginning in the early 1800s, pioneer settlers from Virginia, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina found this area of Randolph County particularly attractive. Prairie, marsh, and tree-lined land was cleared and drained, resulting in these early settlers being able to make a living growing crops off of the nutrient rich farm ground. Over the course of the past 200 years, Randolph County has become an agricultural leader in the Midwest, including in livestock production. A vast amount of the county's 452 square miles is dedicated for agricultural purposes. New uses of agricultural products, beyond raising livestock, has led to an increase demand for Randolph County's staple crops such as corn and soybeans, both of which are now frequently used for diverse products in the food, apparel, medical, hygiene, and transportation industries. Established in 1921 and located north of Farmland, the Davis- Purdue Agricultural Center and Herbert Davis Forestry Farm is an agricultural research center and farm that includes the largest and oldest mapped forest in North America; it is a registered natural landmark. Dr. Leon Hesser (born 1925), an agricultural economist who farmed in Randolph County until age 30, went on to work for the U.S. Department of State, spearheading programs to increase food production in 20 nations in Asia, Africa, and the former Soviet Union. He is also the author of "The Man Who Fed The World," the biography of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug, who Hesser worked with. Cardinal Ethanol, LLC. was established in 2006 to become one of the Midwest's largest producers of ethanol for fuel and bio-products. School children from throughout Randolph County have benefited from participating in the county's strong 4-H Program that embraces nearly all aspects of farming and home-making. Thousands of local residents annually enjoy exhibits, competitions, trade-shows, and a summer fair at the Randolph County 4-H Fairgrounds.