Q&A

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 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: Where does Kansas export most of its agricultural products?

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

Q: How much land is an acre?

A: An acre is a measure of area. It can be any shape as long as it equals 43,560 square feet. Engineers typically use 100,000 square...

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: How many different GMO crops are there?

A: There are currently nine crops commercially available in the United States. They include alfalfa, canola, corn (field and sweet...

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: How do I cook sorghum?

A: You can fix sorghum like rice or quinoa. But since it comes in a lot of forms—whole and pearled grain, flour, syrup, bran, flake—...

Q: Is sorghum a starchy carb?

A: Sorghum is packed with nutrients! It’s a complex carbohydrate with lots of protein, iron, and B-complex vitamins.

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: Is sorghum healthy?

A: Sorghum is a grain that’s high in protein, fiber, iron and antioxidants. It’s also gluten free. 

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.

Q: What does 'GMO' mean?

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

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: Does beef belong in a healthy diet?

A: Absolutely! A 3-oz serving of lean beef contributes less than 10 percent of calories in a 2,000-calorie diet, yet it supplies...

Q: How many seeds are in a sorghum plant?

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

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 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: 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: 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: 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.