The large parts of America left behind by today's economy

[SoLongAtlas]

It's very sad because some of those areas in orange/orange-red are very beautiful, peaceful areas. Buckingham County, Virginia is a great example of a nice, rural county but it has a lack of opportunity and over a fifth of the county is below the poverty line.

So basically a lot of people have to move to or commute elsewhere for work but deal with the downside of insane traffic, ja drivers, areas with more crime, etc. It is a duopoly that is playing out all over these states.

[SoLongAtlas]

Actually farming is a very high tech industry, especially re large acreage farms. Tractors and automated pickers are now guided by GPS and have built in systems to maximize yield. The small family farms can't afford this but they are in the minority of the total percentage of US farms. Also most farms are corporate owned or partnered. It is a high risk industry depending on climate, rotation, demand, etc.