Q&A

Q: What causes wheat sensitivity?

A: There is a specific gene that causes people to develop celiac disease.

Q: Are there antibiotics in the milk I buy?

A: No. Dairy producers ensure traces of antibiotics don’t enter our food supply. All farm milk is tested multiple times before it...

Q: Is sorghum a starchy carb?

A: Sorghum is packed with nutrients! It’s a complex carbohydrate with lots of protein, iron, and B-complex vitamins.

Q: Does beef belong in a healthy diet?

A: Absolutely! A 3-oz serving of lean beef contributes less than 10 percent of calories in a 2,000-calorie diet, yet it supplies...

Q: Do farming and ranching overlap?

A: Farming and ranching go hand-in-hand. Cattle, hogs and other livestock eat a lot of the crops grown here like field corn,...

Q: How many Kansas farms are family-owned?

A: More than 50,000 Kansas farms — about 90 percent — are owned by individuals or families.

Q: How does Greek yogurt compare to traditional yogurt?

A: Greek yogurt is strained to remove much of the liquid whey, lactose and sugar, making it thicker than regular yogurt. It can also...

Q: Are cattle fed unnatural corn diets in a feedyard?

A: Feedyard cattle do not eat diets made up entirely of corn. They start by eating a lot of hay and fiber, then move to a higher...

Q: Is dairy good for you?

A: Dairy products have calcium to keep our bones strong. It also provides many other essential nutrients, helps control diabetes and...

Q: How has wheat evolved?

A: Believe it or not, today’s wheat has the same genetic components as its ancient ancestors.

Q: Are cattle used for purposes other than food?

A: Yes! Cattle can also be used to make shoes, basketballs, gum, marshmallows, soap, medicines, glue and more!

Q: How much pesticide is used on crops?

A: On one acre (about the size of a football field), the amount of pesticide used is about the same as your morning cup of coffee.

Q: What’s in fertilizer?

A: Fertilizer contains nutrients that help keep soil healthy. Three main plant nutrients in fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorus and...

Q: What do the different colors of sorghum mean?

A: Sorghum plants come in two main colors: purple and tan. Tan sorghum can be milled into a nice white flour for gluten-free food....

Q: How do I cook sorghum?

A: You can fix sorghum like rice or quinoa. But since it comes in a lot of forms—whole and pearled grain, flour, syrup, bran, flake—...

Q: What’s the difference between pork loin and tenderloin?

A: Tenderloin weighs between ¾-1 pound. Loin weighs in between 8-10 pounds and is used to make other loin cuts, such as chops,...

Q: How much land is an acre?

A: An acre is a measure of area. It can be any shape as long as it equals 43,560 square feet. Engineers typically use 100,000 square...

Q: Do dairy farmers use sustainable practices on their farms?

A: Producing a gallon of milk today requires 90 percent less cropland, 65 percent less water, and has a 63 percent lower carbon...

Q: What is field corn used for?

A: Field corn is used to feed cattle and to make biofuels like ethanol. It can also be used in plastics, fabrics and batteries.

Q: Why can you still see cotton in the field after harvest?

A: The white patches are cotton lint. Farmers don’t harvest bark from cotton plants and some of the lint stays behind as a result....

Q: How many pounds of soybeans are in a bushel?

A: Sixty pounds! In Kansas, a farmer can produce an average 39 bushels an acre.