Fun Facts

There are about 60-80 pods on a mature soybean plant. Each pod contains three small soybeans.

Did you know some of the fertilizer farmers add to the soil comes from the air we breathe? Companies can convert nitrogen in the air into nitrogen to nourish the ground.

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

In 2016 Kansas farmers will harvest 264 million bushels of grain sorghum off 2.9 million acres.  That’s a 91 bushel average, up 3 bushels per acre from last year.

One acre of soybeans can make 82,368 crayons!

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.

Looking for a gluten-free grain? Try sorghum! It's gluten-free and packed with protein, iron, vitamin B-6, niacin, magnesium and phosphorus.  

Kansas is the top state for growing and storing wheat.

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

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.

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.

The United States grows more soybeans than any other country and six out of every ten rows of soybeans are exported to other countries.

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

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

Cotton can be found in much more than clothes and other fabrics! Cotton by-products can be used to make paper currency, cosmetics and feed for dairy cattle and livestock.

In 2018, farmers in Kansas planted 165,000 acres of cotton, which produced about 335,000 bales!

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

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

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

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.