New York to Los Angeles

At the heart of the Midwest is Illinois. The Midwest region, shown in colour, would have been covered in ice during the last Ice Age.

1876 - Even 150 years ago, Illinois had a complete and comprehensive rail network.

1942 - Chicago is the largest railway hub in the United States, and is another reason why Illinois agriculture is so lucrative.

The uneven shapes and different colours of farmland in Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri. The Ohio and Mississippi Rivers provide extra nutrients and hydration to the fertile soil.

Soil in the Midwest is some of the richest in the world. Drummer soil is particularly rich because of its fine particles that store water and nutrients.

Illinois is well serviced for highways and Interstates, making it easy to transport farm goods for sale.

The many runways of Chicago O'Hare Airport, one of Illinois's busiest transport hubs.

During the last ice age, a large ice sheet covered all of Canada and some of America. Shown in black, you can see the extent of the ice sheet covering North America to the left.

The patchwork of farms extend right across the American Midwest, supported by the rich soils in the region.

A small-scale Illinois farm in the winter. The cold temperatures allow the soil to replenish itself, renewing its fertility for the next growing season.

Illinois produces the most corn ethanol in the country, which in turn is used to power the machines that cut the corn.

A field of soybean crops in Illinois. Illinois is the number one producer of soybeans in the United States.

Enormous corn silos dominate the landscape in the Midwest.

Receiving between 84cm and a metre of rain each year, Illinois is well suited to crop raising.

As well as for human consumption, soybeans are used to make feed for livestock and biodiesel.

Illinois produces enough soybeans each year to fill the Empire State Building 15 times.

Walls of corn grow along roadsides across the Midwest. Illinois is one of the largest producers of corn in America.

The golden wheat field contrasts the dark clouds of an imminent storm. Regular rainfall in Illinois makes conditions perfect to grow crops.

A series of large silos contain the harvests of a large-scale commercial farm.

An old farm with its own silo to store the corn or grain gathered during the harvest.

A traditional red barn with its own silos for storing the harvest.

80 percent of Illinois is covered by farmland. These are corn fields; the state produces 15 percent of the country's total corn.

Horse-drawn buggies are the traditional mode of transport for the Amish, and are still commonly seen today.

The Amish generally travel by horse-drawn buggies. Traditionalists feel that the use of cars will quicken their pace of life and break communities apart.

An Amish buggy offering tourist rides outside a 'cottage industry' shop. The Amish have had to supplement their farming income because of the rising price of farmland.

An Amish family gather firewood in the fields. Children help with daily tasks to teach them the value of hard work.

Amish children playing outside school. The bundles of corn in the background are known as 'fodder shocks', which the Amish use to feed their animals.

A freshly ploughed field. The Amish use horse-drawn ploughs, such as this one, to turn the soil in preparation for replanting.

Newly harvested hay stacked into bails on an Amish farm. Working with a horse-drawn plough is very time intensive, and producing so many bails of hay would have taken a lot of hard work.

This horse and buggy are tied at a 'hitching post' outside a local shop. Hitching posts are common in towns with a large Amish presence.

A traditional Amish kitchen. The Amish live simply, keeping no clutter, only items they will use often.