AgricultureID

State · US-KS

Kansas

Kansas ranges from cold semi-arid steppe (BSk) in the west to humid subtropical and hot-summer continental (Cfa/Dfa) conditions in the east, with hot summers, cold winters, and westward-declining rainfall. The east–west moisture gradient separates row crops from dryland wheat and rangeland.

Major crop systems

  • Hard red winter wheat
  • Grain sorghum
  • Irrigated and rainfed maize and soybean

Major livestock systems

  • Beef cattle feedlot finishing
  • Cow–calf grazing on the Flint Hills and western rangeland

Agricultural land: Wheat and rangeland dominate the semi-arid west and the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie, while the wetter east and the irrigated southwest support row crops; a large share of the state overlies the High Plains (Ogallala) Aquifer. Irrigation: Irrigation is concentrated in the west and southwest, drawing on the declining High Plains (Ogallala) Aquifer; eastern and central cropping is largely rainfed.

Agroecological zones: BSk (Cold semi-arid (steppe)), Cfa (Humid subtropical), Dfa (Hot-summer humid continental)

Documented crops & livestock

Official institutions

  • Kansas Department of Agriculture — State department for agriculture, water, and animal health.
  • K-State Research and Extension (Kansas State University) — Land-grant research and extension for crops, livestock, and range management.
  • USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) — Official state-level crop, livestock, and Census of Agriculture statistics, published through its regional field office network.

Data coverage & limitations

Descriptive profile; subnational statistics for Kansas are published by USDA NASS and the Kansas Department of Agriculture and are not reproduced numerically here.

  • Boundaries and administrative classification follow the ISO 3166-2 subdivision system and USDA/state reporting units.
  • No subnational statistics are reproduced here; any official figures are dated, versioned, and periodically revised — read them with their year and source.
  • The state profile spans very different systems — dryland winter wheat and rangeland in the semi-arid west versus irrigated and rainfed row crops in the east — that averages obscure.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]USDA NASS — National Agricultural Statistics Service (opens in a new tab)

    USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Official state agricultural statistics

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    United States
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]USDA — U.S. Department of Agriculture (opens in a new tab)

    United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Federal agricultural context

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    United States
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12