Fun Facts

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.

Kansas grows winter wheat that is planted and sprouts in the fall, becomes dormant in the winter, grows again in the spring and is harvested in early summer.

Beef from cows and steers are used in two different ways. Cow meat is used primarily as ground beef for hamburgers and the majority of steer meat is used as steaks.

Sows give birth (called farrowing) to an average of eight to twelve piglets at a time and will raise six to eight litters of piglets in their lifetime.

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.

Sorghum can be used to make environmentally-friendly packing peanuts, fencing materials, floral arrangements, brooms and more!

Kansas is known for its sunflowers. They provide food for insects, birds and cattle, and make great cooking oil, biofuel and a delicious snack for people!

Cotton bolls, which are the puffs of white produced by cotton plants, are technically fruit.

More than 87 percent of land in Kansas is farmland.

There are 7 different breeds of dairy cattle. Farmers choose their breeds based on milk production, size and even personality.

Gluten is what helps bread expand while the dough rises, and hold its shape while baking and after it cools. It’s also what makes bread chewy.

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

From farm to processor to distribution and retail, dairy creates jobs that support the economic well-being of Kansans. The dairy industry contributes $592 million annually to the Kansas economy and...

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

One bale of cotton can make 1,256 pillowcases.

There are about 60-80 pods on a mature soybean plant. Each pod contains three small soybeans.

Soybean oil is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.

The average Kansas dairy cow produces about 7 gallons of milk each day. That’s more than 2,544 gallons of milk over the course of a typical year.

About two-thirds of the Kansas corn crop is used in-state as livestock feed or in food production.

The United States grows more soybeans than any other country and six out of every ten rows of soybeans are exported to other countries.

Did you know Kansas has an official state soil? It's called Harney silt loam and it covers about 4 million acres of land in our state.