As corn withers, farmers turn to drought-friendly sorghum (CBS
News) - PAWNEE CITY, Neb. - Drought is taking a devastating toll
on America's farmland. Hundreds of thousands of acres of corn is
withering in the dry heat, pushing prices to near record levels
and causing a panic among livestock feeders and ethanol
producers. But some farmers say there may be a solution growing
right in front of our eyes. As Donald Bloss and his son Mark
walk through their dying corn fields in Pawnee City, Neb. they
see signs of life just rows away. The corn -- as in much of the
Great Plains -- is all dry and dead. But directly adjacent is a
lush green crop field -- one that Mark Bloss says isn't even
done growing in yet. The green oasis is a grain called sorghum.
It's primarily used as livestock feed and as an alternative to
corn in ethanol. Donald Bloss has been growing it for 45 years.
Sorghum is dependable, he said. Rain, shine or drought -- "it's
pretty forgiving." In normal weather conditions, corn can out
produce sorghum b