Meet Kyler Millershaski

Want to know more about where your food comes from? Ask Kyler Millershaski! Kyler is a farmer and rancher in Lakin who is passionate about agriculture. He loves to talk ag — especially with people outside the industry.

“There’s a huge disconnect between consumers and producers,” he says. He wants to help close that gap.

What blows his mind: Less than two percent of Americans are involved in agriculture. Most people don’t know what goes on at a farm or ranch. On top of that, they don’t know anyone in agriculture they can ask.

Kyler is happy to be that person.

When we caught up with Kyler, he talked about three common farming myths — and busted them!

Three Common Farming Myths

Myth 1: Farmers drench food in chemicals.

Yes, farmers spray chemicals on their crops, but it’s far from the horrific “zombie food” that some people make it out to be.

Fact: Farmers use as little chemical as possible.

They only apply what they have to in order to keep their plants healthy. This shakes out to a couple of ounces of chemical per acre — about one to two shot glasses’ worth over the size of a football field.

Plus, the chemicals they use are highly targeted. Herbicides and pesticides are specially formulated to fight specific weeds and insects, not animals or humans. Think of the formula like a house key, Kyler says. Sure, you might be able to put a key into a bunch of different locks, but it will only turn and open the one it’s designed for.

“I don’t want to put a product out there that I’m not proud of, that isn’t a high quality product, or that isn’t sustainable and can’t produce for years to come, and something that I wouldn’t consume myself,” Kyler says.

Which leads us to…

Myth 2: Farmers don’t care about the environment.

“We want to do what’s best for consumers, the soil, and the environment,” he says.

Fact: Sustainability plays a major factor on the farm.

Some of those practices include:

• Prescribed tillage: Kyler’s farm only tills when it’s absolutely necessary. Some farms don’t till at all. This helps preserve the soil structure and uses less fuel.
• Soil fertility: Farmers continually nourish their land, looking years down the line to ensure the soil will have enough nutrients to support growing food.
• Natural fertilizer: A win-win is to have cattle graze on remnants from harvest. The cattle can enjoy munching on those few extra plant stalks and the soil can enjoy the fertilizer they leave behind.

Myth 3: Farmers are lazy, and not that bright.

“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Kyler says. “You almost need a business degree, mechanics degree, engineering degree, and agronomy degree to be a farmer.”

Fact: Farmers are constantly on the go.

Kyler jokes that as a farmer, he’s the boss — he gets to choose which 80 hours he’ll work in a week.

There’s always something to do on the farm. Fall brings harvesting corn and milo, planting winter wheat, storing grain in elevators, repairing equipment, and taking care of cattle in preparation for winter.

“It’s a really hard job,” he says.

Plus, the agriculture industry faces the challenge of trying to feed the world. This is such a big concept that it can be hard to wrap your brain around. Consider these statistics:

A study found that two acres of farmland in the United States are lost to development every minute.
The world’s population is projected to reach nine billion people by 2050.

You can see how farmers are under tremendous pressure to produce more and more food with fewer and fewer resources.

Despite these challenges, Kyler loves what he does.

“I always wanted to farm from a young age,” he says. “I love the freedom that comes with it, and being your own boss.”

And he loves those moments when he’s working the field, his dog Maverick by his side, and the sun starts to set, painting the wide open Kansas sky with deep color.

“I can’t think of anything better.”

Kyler farms wheat, corn and milo with his brother, father, and grandfather on MK Farms Incorporated in Lakin. He also has a small ranching operation on the side.