Fun Facts

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.

All the wheat grown in Kansas in a single year would fit in a train stretching from western Kansas to the Atlantic Ocean.

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

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

Fertilizer contains a lot of helpful nutrients, thanks to Mother Nature! Potash, which is salt from ancient evaporated oceans, is used in fertilizer to feed our soil.

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

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.

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

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

Pork tenderloin is as lean as a skinless chicken breast.

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

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.

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.  

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.

One acre of soybeans can make 82,368 crayons!

Kansas exports more than $4.8 billion in agricultural products per year.

Grain sorghum is one of the oldest known grains. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Africa and India.

Did you know that in Kansas cows outnumber people 2-to1? There are almost 3 million people and more than 6 million cattle!

Energy experts estimate global ethanol production and use reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 110 million metric tons per year. That’s equivalent to taking more than 20 million vehicles off the road.

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!

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