National Agriculture Month seems like something that only those that are involved in agriculture would celebrate…and it is! You’ve eaten today, you’re (probably) not naked and you are constantly surrounded by products of agriculture – we’re all involved in agriculture – so let the party begin!

So why should we all be celebrating?

1. Kansas is the #1 producer of wheat in our country.

• Kansas is called the Breadbasket of the world for a reason!
• 1/5 of the wheat in our country is grown in Kansas, hence “Wheat State”
• one acre of Kansas wheat can feed 15,390 people for a day

2. Cattle outnumber people 2-to-1 in our state

• With about 3.1 Million people in Kansas and about 6.4 Million head of cattle in our state.
• In NINE states in our nation cattle outnumber people 
• During grazing season, cattle outnumber people 9-to-1 in the Kansas Flint Hills!

• Kansas is the third largest producer of cattle in the country.

3. In the US 2-3% of the population have agriculture as their profession. In Kansas that percentage is even greater, in fact, Agriculture is Kansas’ largest industry.
   • Agriculture employs 13% of that Kansas workforce 
   • With so few people involved in production agriculture there are a lot of questions about how it all works – do yourself a favor and friend a farmer or rancher! And learn about how food is grown!
4. 4% of the Tallgrass Prairie remains and most of it resides in the Flint Hills of Kansas. What used to extend from Canada to Texas is now only remaining in the Kansas Flint Hills!

• This is largely due to the fact the Hills are so rocky the soil was untillable when it was homesteaded, this left ranchers to let the Hills be grazed by Bison and they have now been replaced by cattle.
• With only 4% of the Prairie intact, that makes the Tallgrass Prairie the most endangered ecosystem in the world.
• What a unique place to live!

5. There are 105 counties in our great state of Kansas, and each and every one of them contributes to agriculture. Check out this cool map to find out what happens in your county.
6. More than cattle and wheat makeup the economic landscape of Kansas. The five largest crops in our state are wheat, corn, soybeans, sorghum (milo) and hay.
   • Each and every one of these crops are important to the health and nutrition of our country! When you drive outside of the county limits, can you identify the crops?
7. We are also known as the Sunflower State – but we are only the 4^th largest producer of sunflowers in our country.
   • That’s still 86.6 million pounds of sunflowers!
8. According to the Kansas Department of Tourism there are 46 Vineyards in our great state – there isn’t a mom around that couldn’t use an excuse to have a glass of wine, right?
   • Wine.
9. We have a nationally recognized football team in Kansas City – have you heard? Super Bowl Champs! Did you know that there are some fun “ag” facts that relate to football?
   • You can make 20 footballs from one cowhide – and did you know they use 216 footballs for the Big Game?
   • We talk about land mass in acres in ag. Did you know that one acre is the size of a football field less the end zones.
   • We have a rule of thumb when estimating the amount of chemicals we use on crops – approximately one can of beer per acre (or football field) – the rest is just water.
10. Do you really need an excuse to celebrate Kansas? It is an awesome place to live!

So celebrate Kansas today, tomorrow and all month long…and every day after that too! Treat yourself to a delicious steak, eat your veggies, add some bread with butter, while wearing something cotton and drinking a glass of wine! 

Teach your kids where the things around them come from – and if you don’t know learn! It’s a great education to figure out how agriculture provides for us each day. It’s time to celebrate agriculture!