In the United States, crop insurance is a vital part of the income for farmers. Corn and cotton yield secure profits thanks to irrigation. The depletion of groundwater now requires a shift to different crops. In the arid West of Kansas, the sound of artificial rain from center-pivot irrigation systems fills the air between small towns. Irrigation has turned this region into a productive agricultural hub, producing millions of tons of grains. Heath Koehn, along with his father, runs a farm near Montezuma on the Ogallala aquifer, which provides irrigation water for farmers and drinking water for communities. The Ogallala aquifer under the Great Plains is considered one of the world's largest, spanning over 450,000 km² across eight U.S. states. However, the current practices are not sustainable, as Farmer Koehn acknowledges. Farming practices need to change. Adapt or perish is increasingly becoming the mantra. The once abundant groundwater reserves are depleting rapidly. At the current pumping rates, some areas could have water for only a few decades, as reported by the Hays Post. To maintain farms in Western Kansas, farmers are considering a switch to water-efficient crops. Koehn, for example, has planted rapeseed for the first time. Wheat prices have been continuously declining. "I have limited irrigation options. I wanted to diversify and not put everything on one card," says Koehn. This change may seem insignificant but is a Herculean task, as the newspaper continues. The entire cultivation in the region is currently based on irrigated crops like corn, wheat, and soybeans. Other cultivation methods are rare due to higher risks and the lack of guaranteed crop insurance or local buyers. Koehn's farm is an example of the shift in mindset in Southwest Kansas. Farmers are exploring new crops to save water and prepare for increasing drought conditions. Traditional crops like corn and soybeans require a lot of water. The Kansas Geological Survey estimates that 70% of the aquifer will disappear in 50 years. Nationally, over 7.6 billion liters of water are pumped from underground and directed to fields every day. Kansas State University has researched various crops that require less water and could be a viable option in West Kansas. According to Logan Simon, an agricultural expert at K-State Research and Extension, the environment in West Kansas demands more creativity from farmers. Income diversification was the focus of Simon's training on alternative crops in West Kansas earlier this year. The main options include rapeseed, cotton, camelina, and certain beans. The farming techniques are already in place on the farms. Nearly all crops grown in West Kansas are used for livestock feed or biofuel production. "The idea is not necessarily to replace all these things but to offer alternatives to build a more robust system," says Simon. Last year, a rapeseed mill opened in Northwest Kansas, providing farmers with a new market. Rapeseed requires about 40% less water than corn. This not only conserves dwindling water resources but also diversifies farmers' income sources. Instead of selling solely to one industry like the livestock feed sector, farmers can now sell their products to multiple industries. The plants can be used for human consumption, biofuels, or textile manufacturing. Ultimately, it all comes down to making money. Alternative crops may seem like they can solve all the water problems at the border, but farmers are not giving up their corn and wheat fields for peas and rapeseed yet. Agriculture is ultimately a business. Farmers must grow what generates profits. "Imagine not making any money this year," explains Chad Hart, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University. In the current agricultural system, crops like corn and soybeans are the most economically viable despite their water inefficiency. Farmers have little choice if they want to make money. "You have to be willing to take more risks to grow these alternative crops because the built-in mechanisms we usually have are not there," says Hart. The agricultural system is designed to avoid risks. Crop insurance, government subsidies, and bank loans focus on corn and other traditional crops, not potential alternatives. Irrigation has brought prosperity so far. Southwest Kansas, thanks to irrigation agriculture from the aquifer, is one of the most profitable regions in the state. Yields from corn cultivation can reach up to $160 per acre, while rapeseed can reach $150 per acre in a good year. However, corn has a stable market and is strongly supported by crop insurance. While farmers in Southwest Kansas lose more water with a crop like corn, they can at least secure some income in case of drought or hailstorms. And they know that local feedlots, grain silos, and ethanol plants are happy to buy their corn. The same does not apply to beans or rapeseed. "Just because you grow something doesn't mean you have customers," says Hart. "Farmers need to think more about how they can market their crops." And local communities do not want to completely stop irrigation. Irrigation brings more money to agricultural businesses and all related industries: local grain silos, feedlots, truck drivers, and meat processing plants. How did this come about? In the 1930s, Congress approved a state crop insurance program to support agriculture after the drought period known as the "Dustbowl." It began as compensation for farmers who lost their crop yields after a natural disaster - a possibility that farmers still need today. However, it also complicates water-efficient agriculture for farmers. For example, if an irrigated crop fails, they cannot stop the irrigation as they must prove they are not responsible for the crop failure. These "good agricultural practices" are standards that determine crop insurance payments. And crop insurance and subsidies are no small matter. Crop insurance firmly integrated into revenues In 2025, state payments are expected to account for 23% of the total net income of agricultural businesses - a significant increase from annual growth of 8-9% between 2022 and 2024. According to Iowa State Research Extension, about 90% of the land planted with corn and soybeans was insured through state tax protection programs. This not only protects the farm's crop yields but also practically guarantees payment to farmers, even if prices for these commodities drop. In 2024, the United States paid over $2 billion to farmers for corn cultivation under the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program. Times are changing But farmers apparently do not want to rely solely on crop insurance but also grow successful crops, the newspaper continues. Alex Millershaski, a farmer in Gray County, has witnessed a significant shift in the water production of his land over the years. "We used to have over twenty wells on our farm, now we only pump from four," said Millershaski. The farmer is still skeptical about growing alternative crops, but the reduced water availability forces him to try something different. He has seen some neighbors growing rapeseed and cotton. Therefore, he plans to try rapeseed instead of his usual wheat cultivation next year. The area of rapeseed in Kansas doubled last year to 3,000 hectares. While a decline in cotton is expected nationally, an increase of almost 13% is expected for Kansas. And processors in Western Kansas, such as 21st Century Bean, are making beans more profitable. They buy and process beans wholesale for consumption. All these factors make Millershaski open to options. His motto is to simply try things out.
