Fun Facts

A common ingredient in fertilizer is phosphate, which comes from ancient sea life. Phosphate is one of many natural ingredients used to keep soil — and plants! — healthy.

Cattle are great recyclers. They convert natural resources that would otherwise be wasted into beef, an edible protein containing 10 essential nutrients such as zinc, iron and B vitamins.  

Corn is produced on every continent of the world with the exception of Antarctica. 

One bushel of corn makes 2.8 gallons of ethanol.

The largest market for field corn is to provide feed for animals like cattle, pigs, chicken, and even catfish. 

Wheat flour is a good source of complex carbohydrates and contains protein. Plus, it’s low in fat and sodium.

Did you know corn tortillas can differ in color based on the type of corn used? Some are white and others are yellow.

One bale of cotton can make 1,256 pillowcases.

Did you know that Americans consume about 132 pounds of wheat flour per person each year?

There are more than 300 licensed dairy herds in Kansas with about 143,000 cows total. In 2015 cows produced about 365 million gallons of milk, making Kansas the 16th largest milk producing state.

The majority of oil used for cooking in our country is U.S.-grown 100% soybean oil!

Compared with 50 years ago, pig farmers are using 41% less water to produce a pound of pork, with a 35% smaller carbon footprint.

Did you know cotton is becoming a big crop in Kansas? Last year, farmers here produced over 164 million pounds of cotton! 

One cowhide can produce enough leather to make 20 footballs, 18 soccer balls, 18 volleyballs or 12 basketballs.

Did you know Kansas has more than 2 million pigs?

In pre-refrigeration days, hogs were harvested in the fall and cured for six to seven months, just in time for Easter dinner. That’s how ham came to be the traditional Easter favorite.

Did you know the corn humans eat is different from the corn that cattle eat? Most of the corn people eat is sweet  corn. Cattle and other livestock eat field corn.

For a dessert to officially be considered ice cream, it must contain at least 10 percent milkfat.

One 60-pound bushel of wheat provides about 42 pounds of white flour, enough for about 70, one-pound loaves of white bread.

More than 87 percent of land in Kansas is farmland.

In 2018, farmers in Kansas planted 165,000 acres of cotton, which produced about 335,000 bales!