western Kansas

Western Kansas is running out of the water needed to fuel irrigated agriculture. Why is it so hard for farmers to switch to alternative crops?

The price of beef is at all-time highs, but a major policy initiative of the incoming Trump Administration could drive them higher. In an industry that's already strapped for workers, mass deportations could put some ranchers and feedlots out of business.

Kansas farms have expanded their operations and are now bigger than ever, which has led to an economic boom. But that also means fewer farmers, and that has contributed to depopulation in rural parts of the state that were socially isolated to begin with.

Robert Benecke captured 19th-century western Kansas landscapes before massive European migrations to the area transformed them. In the intervening years, the dust bowl, mass extinction of bison, and expansion of mechanized agriculture have all led to a profusion of trees, ponds and lakes across the Sunflower State.

More than 30 years ago, a group of southwest Kansas counties tried to secede and form their own state called West Kansas. It’s largely forgotten now, but the political divisions that caused it remain.

After nearly a decade of road blocks, Missouri's Public Service Commission approved final plans for the Grain Belt Express line, which will drop off 2,500 megawatts of wind energy in Missouri. Construction could start as soon as 2025.

"It Started With A Horse," which is scheduled to screen at the Kansas City Underground Film Festival, provides an intimate look into the eccentric and unapologetic folk artist M.T. Liggett, whose sculptures can be seen outside Mullinville, Kansas.

The Wizard of Oz has given Kansas something very few other states have: A global brand. But generations after the film’s release, is that brand still a gift? Or has it become a curse that boxes Kansas into an inaccurate, outdated image?

The Wizard of Oz and Kansas have been inseparable since farm girl Dorothy Gale first skipped down the yellow brick road. But having an enduring image from the Dust Bowl 1930s might also hold Kansas back from what it wants to be today.

Water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer continue to plummet as farm irrigation swallows an average of more than 2 billion gallons of groundwater per day statewide. But after decades of mostly inaction from Kansas leaders, the state’s approach to water conservation might finally be starting to shift.

With small towns on the decline, some residents in western Kansas are trying to brainstorm ways to keep their rural lifestyles alive. Their answer? Youth rodeos. Plus: One Kansas City orchestra wants to inspire the next generation of jazz artists.

As small town populations decline, people in places like western Kansas look for ways to keep their rural farming and ranching lifestyle alive for the next generation. Some families think youth rodeo might be part of the answer.