Fun Facts

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

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.

Did you know that in Kansas cows outnumber people 2-to1? There are almost 3 million people and more than 6 million cattle!

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

Did you know Kansas has an official state soil? It's called Harney silt loam and it covers about 4 million acres of land in our state. 

A finished bale of cotton weighs about 480 pounds.

One cowhide can produce enough leather to make 20 footballs, 18 soccer balls, 18 volleyballs or 12 basketballs.

Beef from cows and steers are used in two different ways. . Cow meat is used primarily as ground beef for hamburgers and the majority of steer meat is used as steaks.

Kansas is the top state for growing and storing wheat.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

One bale of cotton can make 1,256 pillowcases.

More than 87 percent of land in Kansas is farmland.

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

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.