Kansas Governor Sam Brownback deems January “From the Land of Kansas” month

Dec 30, 2014

Businesses and products will be highlighted throughout the month

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

With agriculture being the largest economic contributor in the Sunflower State, Kansas is starting 2015 off by recognizing and celebrating it.

Governor Sam Brownback declared January as “From the Land of Kansas” month.

The program, first started in 1988, looks to promote Kansas agricultural businesses and products and is always looking for the next big way to promote products and the people who supply them.

“We are excited for this opportunity to promote our members, partners and supporters,” said Stacy Mayo, From the Land of Kansas director. “Agriculture is our largest industry in Kansas. We have the opportunity to work with some of the most productive farmers and ranchers in the country, top-notch specialty food companies, restaurants focused on highlighting Kansas ingredients, ag technology and equipment companies and other agriculture industries creating food and products for use in Kansas, the country and the world.”

The agriculture sector in Kansas exported $4.9 billion of product, including wheat and beef, and employs more than 214,000 people.

One of the program’s main goals is to put Kansas agriculture into the daily lives of consumers. One of the initiatives during January is:

Connect with Kansas ag businesses: Using hashtag #LandofKS, see which program members are being highlighted.

A complete list of businesses involved with the program can be found at the From the Land of Kansas website.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.