Farmer Turns Flood-Prone Fields into Rice Paddies After Decades of Trial and Error

Breaking News: Illinois Farmer's Decades-Long Fight to Convert Fields into Rice Paddies On a late July morning, Blake Gerard zips across his Southern Illinois rice farm on a four-wheeler, having just harvested his 25th rice crop in September 2024. The floods that threatened his soybeans and corn led him to switch to planting rice, a decision that has sparked a conversation about the future of agriculture in the Corn Belt. Timeline: 2024: Blake Gerard harvests his 25th rice crop in September. 2025: Gerard's decades-long fight to convert his fields into rice paddies gains national attention. Immediate Impact and Response: The shift to rice farming has not only helped Gerard's farm thrive but also raised questions about the feasibility of diversifying crops in the Corn Belt. As the region continues to experience frequent floods, experts are reevaluating the long-term sustainability of traditional soybean and corn production. Background Context: The Illinois farmer's decision to plant rice is part of a broader trend towards crop diversification in the United States. With climate change and unpredictable weather patterns becoming increasingly prevalent, farmers like Gerard are exploring alternative crops that can thrive in challenging conditions. What Happens Next: As the conversation around agricultural sustainability continues to grow, policymakers are being urged to reconsider federal farm policy and its focus on soybeans and corn. The success of Blake Gerard's rice paddies serves as a model for other farmers looking to adapt to changing environmental conditions, but it remains to be seen whether this shift will become widespread. This article was produced in partnership with Capitol News Illinois through ProPublica's Local Reporting Network, which is supported by the Pulitzer Center and other funders. *This story is developing. Information compiled from Propublica reporting.*