Fun Facts

Farmers in Kansas grow more than 650 million bushels of corn each year. 

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

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.

There are more than 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for lean, including tenderloin, T-bone steak and extra lean ground beef.

One acre of soybeans can make 82,368 crayons!

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

Drink local with milk! It takes about 48 hours for milk to travel from dairy farms to the grocery store.

One bushel of corn fed to livestock produces 5.6 pounds of retail beef, 13 pounds of retail pork, 19.6 pounds of chicken or 28 pounds of catfish.

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. 

Small engines like lawnmowers and boats can use E10 fuel.

One bale of cotton can make 4,312 mid-calf socks.

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

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

In addition to meat, pigs provide us with lots of other products, including valves for human heart surgery, suede for shoes and clothing, and gelatin for many food and non-food uses.

Output from Kansas agriculture has a direct economic impact of $22.5 billion per year.

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

About a third of a steer is used for beef production. The rest of the animal is used to make by-products found in medicines, cosmetics, detergents, insulation, and much more!

More than 87 percent of land in Kansas is farmland.

Pig farmers have reduced greenhouse gas emissions on pig farms by 35% per pound of pork by changing how crops are raised, how pigs are fed, and how nutrients are recycled.

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.

Mexico and Japan are our top international corn buyers. They buy 50 percent of U.S. corn exports.