Kansas Crops - 1

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Because of the arid climate, farmers frequently irrigate their crops. There are various methods of irrigating depending on the slope of the land, but the "walker" or center pivot is easiest noticed. The water pressure causes this irrigation system to pivot around the center well. The corn from this field has been harvested and the stubble turned.

Between eighty and ninety percent of Kansas water is used for agricultural irrigation. The Kansas Water Authority now calls the process of locating this precious commodity, "mining" water. Although the air is pure, Kansas has some of the most polluted water in the nation - mostly from feedlots draining into lakes and streams, but also from pesticides. The amount of water in Kansas continues to dwindle with center pivot irrigation which causes evaporation loss and the main source of water, the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, has been dammed at Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers. How well farmers conserve water today will have a direct effect on how soon they are forced to return to dry land farming. How long the small towns can survive depend not only on the ability of the farms to produce, but the cost effectiveness of small farming communities to treat the water for human consumption. In Debbie's home town, it is already recommended to purchase bottled water or have a home reverse osmosis machine instead of drinking tap water.

Miles and miles of dark fertile soil produce high yields. This cornfield has been harvested as feed for livestock. The stocks have not yet been turned. In 2004, Kansas growers planted approximately 3.25 million acres (13,152 sq. km) of corn that produced 432 million bushels; resulting in Kansas ranking ninth in the production of U.S. corn.

Above are cornfields. To the left is an irrigated field; to the right is dry land farming that is laying fallow.