Q&A

Q: What is sorghum used for?

A: In addition to food for people, sorghum can be used to feed livestock, or to make materials used in fencing, floral...

Q: What’s the difference between pork loin and tenderloin?

A: Tenderloin weighs between ¾-1 pound. Loin weighs in between 8-10 pounds and is used to make other loin cuts, such as chops,...

Q: Is flavored milk a good choice for kids?

A: Yes. Chocolate and other flavored milks contain the same nine essential nutrients as white milk, and they are a healthful...

Q: Does wheat come from genetically engineered seed?

A: There is no genetically-modified wheat commercially available in the world’s food supply.

Q: What do the different colors of sorghum mean?

A: Sorghum plants come in two main colors: purple and tan. Tan sorghum can be milled into a nice white flour for gluten-free food....

Q: Is dairy good for you?

A: Dairy products have calcium to keep our bones strong. It also provides many other essential nutrients, helps control diabetes and...

Q: Why is soil health important?

A: Healthy soil is full of nutrients that help plants grow. Without those important nutrients, farmers wouldn’t be able to raise our...

Q: Do farmers use chemicals on their crops?

A: Yes, farmers use chemicals to control weeds and pests, but to make sure crops are free from the chemicals, they wait a specified...

Q: Does milk contain antibiotics?

A: No. Every milk tanker is tested for antibiotics. If any are detected, the entire load is dumped. So, you can rest assured...

Q: Who is the number #1 consumer of soybean meal?

A: Animal agriculture! That includes poultry, pigs, dairy and beef cows, sheep and more! Soybean meal is an excellent source of...

Q: What does 'GMO' mean?

A: “GMO” stands for genetically modified organism. Both traditional plant breeding and genetic engineering involve altering the...

Q: Can family farms be owned by corporations?

A: Not exactly. Some families might incorporate their farms for tax purposes, but for the most part these farms are multi-...

Q: What do pigs eat?

A: Most pigs eat a diet of corn, soybeans, vitamins and minerals. Much of the corn and soybeans fed on Kansas farms will be grown by...

Q: How many seeds are in a sorghum plant?

A: A single head of sorghum can have 750-1,250 seeds.

Q: Are cattle fed unnatural corn diets in a feedyard?

A: Feedyard cattle do not eat diets made up entirely of corn. They start by eating a lot of hay and fiber, then move to a higher...

Q: Where does Kansas export most of its agricultural products?

A: The top import countries for Kansas agriculture are Mexico, Japan and Canada.

Q: Why can you still see cotton in the field after harvest?

A: The white patches are cotton lint. Farmers don’t harvest bark from cotton plants and some of the lint stays behind as a result....

Q: Is raising beef sustainable?

A: Beef production has gotten a bad rap, but it’s more sustainable than ever with a 10% improvement in water quality, 7% reduction...

Q: Do farming and ranching overlap?

A: Farming and ranching go hand-in-hand. Cattle, hogs and other livestock eat a lot of the crops grown here like field corn,...

Q: What is field corn used for?

A: Field corn is used to feed cattle and to make biofuels like ethanol. It can also be used in plastics, fabrics and batteries.

Q: How many pig farmers are there in Kansas?

A: There are about 1,000 hog farms in Kansas and over 90% of them are family owned.