In 2016, the Mississippi River broke through a levee in Alexander County, Illinois, and wiped out 1,200 acres of Steve Williams’ farmland. He signed up for a federal program in 2019 to retire the damaged fields. But instead of help, he and his daughter, Brandy Renshaw, spent years farming the unfarmable, because that’s what the system required to survive.
Listen to Renshaw explain how she and her dad dealt with not just the devastation of their farmlands and a buyout process that dragged on for years, but also the loss of a legacy and generations of memories. You can also read our full investigation, co-published with Capitol News Illinois, about why some farmers are stuck raising crops that no longer thrive here.
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