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Lower Plains: Kansas, Nebraska

Farming is a major part of Nebraska’s economy, and corn remains the state’s primary crop.

equipment, fertilizers, pesticides, and medical instruments are among the top products manufactured in the state. Nebraska also leads in food manufacturing, with ConAgra, one of America’s biggest packaged food com- panies, based here. Nebraska’s third-largest source of revenue is tourism, bringing in more than four billion dollars a year. Other important industries in the state include freight transport, telecommu- nications, and banking. A number of major insurance and financial institu- tions are based in Nebraska, including Mutual of Omaha and TD

ed with gasoline and used as fuel. Nebraska is the nation’s second- largest producer of ethanol. It is America’s top producer of beef, Great Northern beans, and popcorn. Cattle, corn, soybeans, hogs, and wheat are Nebraska’s top five com- modities , in order of importance to the economy. Agriculture in general contributes over $21 billion every year to Nebraska’s economy. That repre- sents more than one-fifth of the state’s total GDP, which exceeded $110 bil- lion in 2014. Manufacturing is another major revenue source for Nebraska. Farm