Fun Facts

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

98 percent of all corn farms are family-run farms.

One bale of cotton can make 1,256 pillowcases.

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.

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.

Dairy farmers work with animal nutritionists to create recipes that meet the specific nutritional requirements of their cows. A cow’s diet is a combination of hay, grain, silage and proteins,...

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

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

The cotton gin first came to Kansas in 1854 when a Polish immigrant wanted to gin local cotton near Valley Falls.

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.

About one-third of the milk produced in the U.S. is used for making cheese.

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.

Did you know cotton is becoming a big crop in Kansas? Last year, farmers here produced over 164 million pounds of cotton! 

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

Grains can be categorized into food grains (for people) and feed grains (for cattle). Cattle eat feed grains like field corn and grain sorghum. An average of 4 ½ pounds of grain is used to produce a...

The largest market for field corn is to provide feed for animals like cattle, pigs, chicken, and even catfish. 

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.

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

Within an hour of birth calves are up and ready to nurse. A baby calf will drink a gallon of milk a day.

In Kansas alone, pig farmers raised over 3.2 million pigs in 2015, producing over 600 million pounds of pork!

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