Fun Facts

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

One bushel of corn makes 2.8 gallons of ethanol.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Enriched white bread and other enriched grain products are a good source of iron and B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid), as well as complex carbohydrates.

One acre of soybeans can make 82,368 crayons!