Fun Facts

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.

Output from Kansas agriculture has a direct economic impact of $22.5 billion per year.

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

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

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 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.

One bale of cotton can make 1,256 pillowcases.

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.

Compared with 50 years ago, pig farmers are using 41% less water to produce a pound of pork, with a 35% smaller carbon footprint.

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.

One dairy cow can produce more than 3,000 gallons of milk in a year. There are about 160,000 dairy cows in Kansas. That's a lot of milk!

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

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

From farm to processor to distribution and retail, dairy creates jobs that support the economic well-being of Kansans. The dairy industry contributes $592 million annually to the Kansas economy and...

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

One Kansas farmer raises enough food to feed about 155 people!

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

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

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

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