Thomas Jefferson envisioned an America based on family farming, and Indiana's pioneers came to southern Indiana to turn Jefferson's vision into a reality. At first, the dream was possible because the land was inexpensive and fertile, but as farmers' families grew, Indiana's best and most accessible land became expensive. Much of the state's prolific early output of corn, hogs, and wheat was exported to New Orleans to garner capital for further land purchasing. land prices adjacent to the new lines. Entry costs to farming spiraled upward. Those who still wanted to find land cheap enough to start farming were forced into the state's remote south-central hill country and into the boggy lands that stretched across the north. suitable property. Hoosier farmers, however, were able to maximize their profits during the Civil War by using rails to move their crop and livestock output.