Kansas Department of Agriculture

Your Steak May Be At Stake In The Next Pandemic, And Kansas Is Helping The U.S. Prepare

By • Oct 7, 2020
Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service

GREAT BEND, Kansas — Emerging infectious diseases like the coronavirus don’t just threaten humans. They’re also a major concern for the livestock industry and the U.S. food supply, with billions, if not trillions, of dollars at stake.

Central Kansas Farmers Clash With Local Wildlife Refuge Over Water

By • Dec 9, 2019
Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service

ST. JOHN, Kansas — Water — who gets to use it, when and how — sparks fights all over the world.

The latest battleground is in south-central Kansas, near the federally operated Quivira National Wildlife Refuge.

In its simplest form, it’s a clash between the refuge, which isn’t getting its legal share of water, and the local farmers who may be forced to cut back on how much water they use on their crops.

Latest Census Shows Agriculture Boosts Sedgwick County Economy

By Suzette Sponsel • Oct 11, 2019
COURTESY: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agriculture businesses in Sedgwick County contributed around $1.85 billion to the economy in 2017.

According to the state’s latest agricultural census from 2017, the most recent data available, there were 1,360 farms in Sedgwick County.

Farm-related and agricultural jobs employed 6,720 people in the county.

The 2017 census shows commodity sales, which includes crops and livestock, were about $118.9 million for Sedgwick County. Statewide, commodity sales were about $18.8 billion.

Fatal Oak Tree Disease Confirmed In Plants Sold In Kansas

By • Jun 7, 2019
Stephen Koranda

Plants sold at more than 60 stores in Kansas were infected with a disease that kills oak trees. The Kansas Department of Agriculture said sudden oak death was confirmed in hundreds of rhododendrons in the state, and the agency is asking Kansans to destroy any potentially infected plants.

A Newly Defined Kilogram Will Bring More Accurate Measurements To Kansas

By • Nov 23, 2018
Kansas Division of Weights and Measures

The international definition of a kilogram has changed, and that could have implications for your next trip to the grocery store.

New Kansas Initiative Looks To Track Cattle Diseases

By editor • Jul 10, 2018

Kansas is taking the lead on a project aimed at tracking cattle disease with the hopes of protecting the U.S. beef industry.

Kansas Department Of Agriculture Asks Public For Help Drafting New Hemp Growing Regulations

By • May 13, 2018
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

Industrial hemp is coming to Kansas, but first the Department of Agriculture has to figure out how to regulate it.

Cities And Suburbs Snub Chicken Business, But Rural Kansas Sets Lower Bar For New Jobs

By • Apr 17, 2018
Tyson Foods Inc.

For about 10 years Laura Krier has lived in Concordia, Kansas, a small town that she’s seen get only smaller.

Without some kind of economic development, she fears things it will only get worse.

Preps For Farmers’ Market Season Underway

By • Feb 2, 2018
drburtoni / Flickr Creative Commons

Kansas agriculture experts are holding workshops this month to help agriculture producers and vendors get ready for the upcoming farmers’ market season. 

One of the workshops is tomorrow at the Sedgwick County Extension Office in west Wichita.

Vendors can brush up on sales tax laws and regulations on selling meat, poultry and eggs. Janelle Dobbins with the Kansas Department of Agriculture says other topics include beekeeping, growing in high tunnels and vendor marketing.

Program Supporting Kansas-Made Agricultural Products, Farmers Celebrates 40 Years

By • Jan 30, 2018
Kansas Department of Agriculture/Twitter

Kansas-made agricultural products and food items were on display at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka Tuesday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the state's agricultural trademark program, From the Land of Kansas.

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