I think The lack of tillable land in Southern Iowa is a big factor. They have a lot of CRP down there, which has money spent on it in the first year of establishment, a mid-contract management year, and that is it. If that land were tillable the farmer would be paying the seed guy, fertilizer guy, chemical, crop insurance, trucker, banker, etc money every singles year that would circulate in the economy. With CRP that money circulation is gone. Northeast Iowa has some rougher ground but seems to have more livestock than Southern Iowa. The livestock guys spend a lot of money too on equipment, feed, buildings, supplies, etc that are all good for the local economy.