Kearny County Agriculture
Agriculture continues to play an important role in the economic base of Kearny County.
Most people would be surprised to know that about 81% of our farmland use is devoted to cropland, while 73% of our county products are livestock. We have 299 farms accounting for 516,230 acres, with 89% of those being family farms. In the state of Kansas, we rank 4th in milk prodution, 14th for cattle and calves produced, and 15th in overall livestock production. Our main crops are wheat, sorghum, corn, and forage crops. We are ranked 33rd in the state in overall crop production, coming in 2nd for hay production. Kearny County is 13th in the state for total agricultural production and in 2017 we had over $281.0 million in crop and livestock sales.
Wheat production takes up about 97,000 acres and leads our county in crop production. Sorghum production follows second at about 59,000 acres and corn comes in third at roughly 54,000 acres with 7,500 of those acres being for forage production. Our primary livestock enterprise is cattle with both beef and dairy being common. We have multiple feedlots while still maintaining a strong famiy farm precense as well. We’re still home to large commercial agriculture as well as an expanding small part-time farming community.
Agriculture has always had both its challenges and opportunities. One of those opportunities is to help people understand where their food comes from and the variety of ways it can be produced. With the help of local farmers, we use the media and events like Slice of Ag to educate and share our story.
Our staff works with individuals to address issues that impact their lives such as: small acreage management, pasture and forage management, pond management and water quality, crop and crop production, and home pest control.
No matter what you need, stop by, email or give us a call. We're here to help
