Oatney Crops
At Oatney we are passionate about growing crops for maximum yield and nutrition.
Wheat
Kansas is one of the largest producers of wheat in the United States. It is well suited to the growing conditions of Kansas. We are proud to be a contributor to that industry.
Fun Facts about Wheat:
- Wheat can grow almost anywhere in the world from sea level to 4,000 meters above sea level.
- World trade in wheat is larger than all other crops combined internationally.
- More types of foods are made with wheat than with any other cereal grain.
- Wheat is not only used for food but is also a vital ingredient in paper, hair conditioner, charcoal and medical swabs.
- Wheat provides approximately 20 percent of the calories consumed by the human race.
- Globally, wheat is the leading source of protein in human food.
- Kansas is number one in flour milling in the United States.
- One bushel of wheat contains approximately one million individual kernels.
- Kansas produces enough wheat each year to bake 36 billion loaves of bread and enough to feed everyone in the world, over six billion people, for about 2 weeks. An acre of Kansas wheat produces enough bread to feed nearly 9,000 people for one day.
- Wheat feeds more people than any other grain. It is unique from other grains in that it is directly processed into food for people rather than being primarily used in animal feed.
- Unrefined wheat is highly nutritious. It is low in fat and contains complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein, B vitamins and iron and magnesium.
Corn
Although traditionally known as the Wheat State, Kansas farmers were growing corn here before wheat took domination.
Fun Facts about Corn:
- There is one silk for every kernel that grows in an ear of corn.
- The number of kernels per ear can vary from 500 to about 1,200, but a typical ear would have 800 kernels in 16 rows.
- Corn is grown in every continent except Antarctica.
- One acre of corn is about the size of a football field.
- A bushel of corn is 56 pounds, about the weight of a large bag of dog food.
- A single bushel of corn can sweeten about 400 cans of soda pop.
Milo
Kansas is the largest grain sorghum producing state in the U.S. and we have found this to be an excellent crop for our hot growing conditions…
Fun Facts about Milo:
- One bushel of grain sorghum equals 56 pounds.
- It takes only 6 inches of water (soil, rainfall, irrigation) to produce the first bushel of grain sorghum.
- Sorghum heads have 750-1,250 seeds per head.
- Sorghum can be used to produce packing peanuts.
- Sorghum is gluten free.
- One-third of the US grain sorghum crop is used for livestock feed.
- Sorghum produces the same amount of ethanol per bushel as comparable feed stocks and uses one third less water.
- Sorghum is also used for building material, fencing, floral arrangements, pet food and brooms.
- The first known record of sorghum in the United States comes from Ben Franklin in 1757, who wrote about its application in producing brooms.
Soybeans
Here on the plains of Kansas, we have found that soybeans are is excellent crop to grow on our no-till land after the wheat has been harvested.
Fun Facts about Soybeans:
- Soybeans are 18% oil and 38% protein.
- Today, 85,000,000 acres of U.S. farmland land are used for growing soybeans.
- Soybeans contain all 8 amino acids, all of which are essential for human nutrition.
- Soy-based oils are used as lubricants and can withstand higher temperatures that of petroleum-based oils.
- Elevators in the Statue of Liberty are lubricated by soybean oil.
- Only 9.5% of Kansas soybean acres are irrigated.
- In 2018, Kansas ranked 10th in soybean production among U.S. states.
- In 2018, Kansas farmers harvested 4.7 million acres of soybeans.