Category: News
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The Bones of Lane County
By Vance Ehmke My great grandparents homesteaded here in western Kansas back in 1885. And I always thought it was a pretty big deal to be a fourth-generation farmer– until the bones of Lane County told me otherwise. Here on our farm we have a state historical site, 14 LA 311, to be exact. It’s…
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Drought Drags On
For those of us who were hoping our current hard case drought would dry up and blow away, the reality is anything but. Instead, the new 3-month forecast promises more of the same and a lot of it. Last fall when talking with Jeff Hutton from the National Weather Service in Dodge City, he speculated…
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Governor Laura Kelly Visits Ehmke Farm
Kansas governor Laura Kelley visited Ehmke Farm in June 2022 as a stop on her “Back to Business” tour. Images from the visit below were provided by Kansas Office of the Governor.
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Even at $12, Wheat May Lose Money
The good news is we have $12 wheat prices. The bad news is because of low projected yields caused by the on-going drought, many western Kansas wheat fields will do no better than break even. Incredible as it may seem, even with the highest price of all time, at least half of the western Kansas…
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Popular Wheat Varieties May Not Be Top Yielders
By Vance Ehmke In looking at the recently released list of the most popular wheat varieties planted in Kansas, I am reminded that just because a variety is planted on a lot of acres doesn’t mean you should be planting it. Years ago in a conversation with former Scott City basketball coach and farmer/cattleman Harold…
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Does $10 Wheat Mean More Acres?
By Vance Ehmke After several years of selling wheat for $5 a bushel, we finally broke out of the rut when wheat prices exploded and more than doubled. But even with $10 wheat, if you’re betting on a big jump in the Kansas wheat acreage, it’s a bet you’re probably going to lose. If anything,…
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$7 Wheat?
This time last year who would have ever thought that we were sitting on and hatching a major bull market in the grains. Well, it’s here now and the only question for wheat is how high it’ll go. There are a lot of factors that explain how we got here like being pulled along by…
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Three finalists selected for 2020 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award®
By the Hutchinson News KANSAS””Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Kansas Leopold Conservation Award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife resources in their care. In Kansas the $10,000 award is presented annually by Sand County Foundation, American Farmland Trust, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts and…
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Alibates flint arrowhead stored in Kansas State Historical Society collection
This arrow point was recovered from a camp and kill site in Lane County during excavation by Kansas Historical Society Archeologists.
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Where Have All The Pheasants Gone?
By Vance Ehmke It doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago when opening day of pheasant hunting season was a pretty big deal. But my, oh my, how times have changed. Back then every motel room in the county had been booked up for a year in advance. There was not a box…