Recap on annual Agricultural Growth Summit

MANHATTAN (KSNT) – Yesterday, over 300 farmers, educators and leaders came together at the 10th annual Kansas Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Growth to provide direction to the agricultural industry.

The Governor’s Summit on Agriculture Growth has been a gathering of leaders from all corners of Kansas agriculture to develop a strategy for economic growth in the state’s agriculture industry since 2016. It has been known as a catalyst for valuable discussion and networking which produces real results for Kansas agriculture.

“The health of our agricultural sector is crucially important to the health of our economy as a whole,” Governor Kelly said. “That’s why here in Kansas, we develop and update comprehensive strategies to implement emergency response preparedness and resilience, promote agricultural research, ensure Kansas retains sufficient water resources, and support business and workforce development.”

The summit featured speakers like Tanner Ehmke, the lead economist for grains and oilseeds at CoBank, Marshal Stewart, K-State Executive Vice President for External Engagement and Jackie McClaskey, President and CEO of the American Royal. These speakers provided insights into economic outlook, challenges faced by Kansas farmers and updates into community outreach programs.

This year, some of the big take aways were Ehmke’s notes on the challenges Kansas farmers have been facing recently. One of Ehmke’s largest concerns is that agriculture related employment has steadily fallen since 2015, and with aging demographics economic growth has been slow. Nonetheless Ehmke believes there is opportunity, especially with rising public consumption and spending.

You can learn more about the 2025 Governor’s Summit on Agriculture Growth, and future summits, on their website.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.