Markets nervous: will U.S. plant enough corn?

Kansas farmer Ken McCauley wants to help keep the world from going hungry next year, so he's planting corn: lots and lots of corn.

The third-generation farmer said he'll begin seeding about 3,000 acres of corn on his northeastern Kansas farm within the next two weeks, compared to only about 1,000 acres of soybeans he'll plant this spring, a change from his traditional 50/50 mix of the two key crops.

Indeed, with food prices racing higher around the world, and strong demand for corn from food companies, livestock producers and ethanol makers, U.S. corn production is considered a critical component of keeping people fed.

Higher prices for corn have fattened farmer wallets even as stocks from last year's bumper crop remain sufficient for the short term.