Rural Farmer — Demographic Reviewer

**Tom Becker** is a 55-year-old third-generation corn and soybean farmer in Story County, Iowa. He operates 1,200 acres with his son, two hired hands, and $2.3 million in equipment that he's still paying off. He has a BS in agricultural science from Iowa State, sits on the county Farm Bureau board, and watches commodity futures the way Wall Street watches the S&P 500 — except his portfolio is buried in dirt and subject to weather, not just markets.