Fun Facts

Did you know that Americans consume about 132 pounds of wheat flour per person each year?

A finished bale of cotton weighs about 480 pounds.

Wheat flour is a good source of complex carbohydrates and contains protein. Plus, it’s low in fat and sodium.

Milk is one of the best sources of calcium. Our bodies absorb 28 percent of the calcium found in milk, but as little as 5 percent of the calcium found in other foods like spinach.

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.

One acre of soybeans can make 82,368 crayons!

A bushel of soybeans weighs 60 pounds and produces 11 pounds of oil and 48 pounds of soybean meal.

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

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

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

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

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

Soybean oil is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.

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

A common ingredient in fertilizer is phosphate, which comes from ancient sea life. Phosphate is one of many natural ingredients used to keep soil — and plants! — healthy.

Did you know Kansas farmers grow about 330 million bushels of wheat each year? That’s enough to make 23 billion loaves of bread!

About four percent of the land in Kansas is part of conservation or wetland reserve programs.

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!

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.

In addition to meat, pigs provide us with lots of other products, including valves for human heart surgery, suede for shoes and clothing, and gelatin for many food and non-food uses.