Courtesy, Kansas Travel & Tourism

Kansas has definitely changed since the explorer Zebulon Pike crossed the state and called the region “the great American desert”. Nothing could be further from the truth. The state has since become the nation’s breadbasket and consistently leads the nation in wheat production.

But Kansas is more than wheat. Its diverse agricultural background is demonstrated in the multitude of agriculture-related attractions and activities.

Statistics show that at times there are more cattle in Kansas than people. To get an idea of the number of cattle actually raised in Kansas, stop by the scenic overlook just east of Dodge City – it can’t be missed. At any given time, over 20,000-head of cattle are amassed in this local feedlot. And amazingly, this is only one of several huge feedlots in Kansas.

The state’s agricultural history can be discovered in more detail in the numerous museums throughout the state including the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs, which features a Farmer’s Memorial and Hall of Fame. The Mennonite Heritage Museum in Goessel tells the story of the Mennonite farmers who introduced wheat to Kansas. The Prairie Museum of Art and History in Colby contains Kansas’ largest barn and a re-created 1930s farmstead. The Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita features an 1870s farmstead adjacent to their living history village.

As immigrants moved to Kansas, many attempted to establish the same type of farms and ranches they were accustomed to in their home countries. An English immigrant established the Cottonwood Ranch near Studley in the 1880s. Today, this early sheep ranch is a state historic site and its stone house and outbuildings are being restored to their original appearance.

Ready for a celebration? Events and festivals celebrating agricultural heritage or a successful harvest are held throughout the state and in a variety of ways. To view antique farm machinery in action, visit one of the many threshing festivals, including the largest, the Heart of America Threshing Bee held in McLouth. The 3i show stands for “Implements, Industry, Irrigation” and is held in odd years in Garden City and even years in Great Bend. The show hosts over 600 exhibitors demonstrating the newest technology in agricultural machinery in the world.

To get a very up close look at a cornfield, jump into one of the many corn mazes that have been created on several farms around the state. The cattle industry is celebrated with Beef Empire Days in Garden City, the Kansas Beef Expo in Hutchinson, and the Flint Hills Beef Fest in Emporia. County fairs in communities across the state are opportunities for small towns to celebrate their agricultural heritage. But the biggest event to showcase

Kansas agricultural products is the Kansas State Fair. Held annually in September in Hutchinson, the fair has been a state tradition since 1875 and features exhibits of every aspect of Kansas agriculture. Kansas agriculture is also a feast for the eyes. During late summer, Kansas lives up to its reputation as the Sunflower State. A drive through western Kansas, especially near Colby and Goodland, reveals millions of huge yellow sunflowers in bloom. The seeds from these giant flowers are processed for cooking oil at a plant between the two towns. While in the area check out the 80-foot tall Vincent Van Gogh Sunflower painting in Goodland. The annual ritual of pasture burning in the Flint Hills is a sublime visual event. Take a nighttime drive through this area in the spring and watch the flames dance up the distant hills. The large crop circles that dot the landscape across the state are a sight to see, made out of irrigation necessity and not by some ancient culture. And the Kansas wheat harvest is one of the grandest agricultural spectacles to see anywhere in the United States.

Sample the fruits of labor from a crop that was first cultivated in Kansas in the 1870s. Kansas’ many wineries produce a variety of award-winning wines, such as the elderberry wine produced by Wyldewood Cellars Winery in Mulvane, the largest producer of elderberry wine in the U.S. At Smoky Hills Vineyard and Winery in Salina, take a guided tour, then sit back and sample wines in the rustic tasting room within the vineyard. For a hands-on experience, visit Holy-Field Vineyard and Winery in Basehor for Picking Sundays where you can get out in the vineyard and pick grapes. Other wineries can be found in nearly a dozen cities across the state.

These activities and festivals are only a few of the many agricultural opportunities in Kansas. Many communities have also developed agriculture-related tours and activities.