WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The latest government snapshot shows most major farm crops in Kansas are faring well this season.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 59 percent of the state’s corn is in good to excellent condition. About 31 percent is rated as fair with 10 percent in poor to very poor condition.

Soybean condition is rated as 52 percent good to excellent with 39 percent rated as fair. About 9 percent of the soybeans are in poor to very poor shape.

Kansas has about 68 percent of its sorghum crops in good to excellent condition. About 27 percent of the sorghum is in fair condition with 5 percent rated as poor to very poor.

The agency also rated topsoil moisture as adequate to surplus in 78 percent of the state.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The number of cattle on Kansas feedlots is up this year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service says the number of cattle on Kansas feedlots has risen 2 percent in the past year to about 1.94 million. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports USDA statistics also show that overall cattle inventories across the state have grown.

Drought conditions had dried up ponds and pushed up prices for feed, which prompted Kansas farmers to sell off cattle or send them to packing plants.

But as of Jan. 1 this year, total cattle inventories in Kansas, which includes all cattle and calves, not just those on feedlots, hit 6 million, an increase of 200,000 from a year earlier and a sign of recovery after three years of decreases.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas corn and soybean crops were generally in good shape last week as farmers got into their fields an average of 5.7 days.

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service says temperatures were above normal in the eastern half of the state and below normal in the west for the week ended Sunday.

Most of the state received half an inch or more of precipitation over the period. Topsoil moisture was rated 5 percent surplus, 70 percent adequate, 22 percent short and 3 percent very short.

The statistics service says 89 percent of the state’s corn crop was fair or better, with 8 percent poor and 3 percent very poor. The soybean crop rated 5 percent excellent, 45 percent good, 41 percent fair, 8 percent poor and 1 percent very poor.

(KFEQ)-“If we don’t tell the story someone else will.”

Jeremy Jack, partner, Silent Shade Planting Company.

Jack considers himself the CEO of his farm in Belzoni Mississippi that employs roughly 30 workers.

However, he calls himself a general and a soldier.  One who can manage the farm at moment and hop under a semi stranded on the side of the road for some mechanic work the next.

But no one outside of his organization or agriculture production knows the hard work that it takes to operate and manage a farm.  It’s time to change that, but how?

Show and tell.

And on his farm, they plan to do just that.  The plan is demonstration days for the rice, corn, soybean and wheat farm that includes high tech equipment aimed at sustainability.

Also, through the use of blogs and webcams, they plan to show the day-to-day on their farm.

Throughout the 2014 Bayer Ag Issues Forum at Commodity Classic in San Antonio, one of the main topics is communication with consumers.

Consumers want to know more about their food, where it comes from and how it’s grown.  And there are plenty of others telling the wrong story about agriculture, concluded one panel on how farm CEO’s are reshaping agriculture.

Less than one percent of today’s population lives on the farm, and they are expected to grow the food to feed 9 billion people within the next 100 years.

Known as the Onion Man, Bruce Fraiser owns Dixondale Farms.  The farm producers roughly 70 percent of the nation’s onion seeds and also grows cantaloupe in Carrizo Texas.  They sell the onion seeds online or by mail.

Fraiser offers advice to farmers of all kinds.

“Think about the things that you do, what you do, or social media and do videos,” Fraiser said.

It’s time for farmers to join the conversation, to be the experts online and in the public because the public lacks the farmer perspective but wants to know more, according to the panel.

“If something is wrong with me I go see a doctor,” Jack said.  The public needs to understand what’s better; to go the doctor and ask a doctor tell you what’s right or wrong or go to the internet and ask Google.  Not saying there’s anything wrong with Google, I do it all the time. But if something’s wrong with me I’m going to go see a doctor.  So if I want to know something about food do I go to a blog or Google or to someone who does not necessarily have anything to do with agriculture at all and gives an opinion? Opinion and fact are completely different, and take the facts.”