Kansas Agriculture

With two commonly known nicknames, Kansas is known for agriculture:   the Sunflower State and the Wheat State. Combines and tractors seem to be as typical in Kansas as bicycles are in Seattle or subway stations in New York City.  

As you drive in northwest Kansas, you’ll see seemingly endless fields of 5 crops.

 

Sunflowers  -  Blooms are plentiful in August, and the plant is used in cooking oil, snack foods and bird seed.

 

Corn  -  Planted in the Spring and harvested in the Fall, the area’s corn is used as a vegetable and is also a livestock feed. The sorbitol (byproduct) is used in toothpaste.

Grain sorghum (milo)  –  Harvested in the Fall, this crop provokes the most questions from my RVers. During the weeks building up to the harvest the majority of my guests ask me what that corn-like crop is with the brown top. Milo is used primarily for animal feed but is also being used in ethanol.

Soybean  -  A November crop used in vegetable oil, margarine, salad dressings, sauces, bakery goods, bio-diesel (fuel) and in crayons.

Wheat  -  Sowed in the fall, it turns a lush green until June when it begins to turn golden soon before its harvest. The harvest is a major event in our area. It’s toward the middle-to-end of June and into early July. I recommend you read our other blogs relating to the wheat.

Northwest Kansas is very dry, receiving only about 18″ of precipitation a year. What’s grown here is challenged by Mother Nature’s dryness, winds, and hail.

For those who camp with us, our office has a display of our local agriculture. There are framed pictures of each crop, some close-up and some of the fields, and we have jars with the produce from each of the crops. Come on in and see them.

For more information on High Plains Camping, or to book a site, please see our website.