Specialty Crops and Farmers Markets Add Diversity to Kansas Fields
A small but growing cohort of Kansas growers is finding success with vegetables, fruit, and direct-to-consumer sales.
Agriculture & Industry
Wheat, cattle & processing
Kansas Wheat Harvest Begins Under a Mixed Outlook
Combines rolled into golden fields across central and western Kansas as the winter wheat harvest began, with yields varying sharply by rainfall.
Food Processing Plants Anchor Jobs in Rural Kansas Towns
Meat and grain processing plants remain among the largest employers in many rural Kansas communities, shaping their economies and populations.
Aging Kansas Grain Elevators Get a High-Tech Makeover
Cooperatives are investing in faster receiving pits, automated systems, and expanded storage at grain elevators across the state.
Southwest Kansas Emerges as a Growing Dairy Region
Large modern dairies are expanding across southwest Kansas, drawn by ample feed, open land, and access to milk processing.
Kansas Ranchers Rethink Herds as Drought Reshapes the Range
Persistent dry spells in western Kansas are pushing ranchers to adjust herd sizes and adopt new grazing strategies to protect the grass.
Kansas Sorghum Growers Ride a Wave of Export Demand
Strong overseas demand for grain sorghum, a drought-tolerant staple of Kansas fields, is lifting prospects for growers of the crop known locally as milo.
Kansas Universities Drive Research to Future-Proof Farming
Agricultural researchers in Kansas are developing drought-tolerant crops, better livestock genetics, and tools to sustain farming in a changing climate.
Kansas Feedlots Adopt New Tools to Boost Efficiency and Welfare
The state's cattle feedlots are deploying technology to monitor animal health, manage feed, and reduce their environmental footprint.