Fun Facts

Kansas is known for its sunflowers. They provide food for insects, birds and cattle, and make great cooking oil, biofuel and a delicious snack for people!

Farmers in Kansas grow more than 650 million bushels of corn each year. 

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.

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

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

The top five agiculture commodities in Kansas are cattle, corn, wheat, soybeans and sorghum.

Pig farmers have reduced greenhouse gas emissions on pig farms by 35% per pound of pork by changing how crops are raised, how pigs are fed, and how nutrients are recycled.

Kansas is the top state for growing and storing wheat.

One bale of cotton can make 1,256 pillowcases.

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

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

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,...

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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...

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