AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES

Kiowa County is located in the prairie lands of southeastern Colorado. It is rectangular in shape, with Kansas as its eastern boundary. The county measures 78 miles long east to west and is 24 miles in width. Total land area is 1,148,160 acres or 1794 square miles. Elevation ranges from 3,800 feet above sea level in the southeast corner to 4,600 feet in the northwest. Major drainages in the county are Adobe and Mustang Creeks which drain the western portion, Rush Creek and Sand Creek in the central portion and Wildhorse, Buffalo, and White Woman Creeks in the eastern portion. The drainages tend to be intermittent but Adobe, Rush and Sand Creeks have small continuous flows during wetter years.

Soils in Kiowa County are generally good, however precipitation is the limiting factor for agriculture. Climate is mild and semi-arid with average annual precipitation averaging from 12 inches in the west end to 16 inches at the eastern boundary. With good management, crop rotations and conservation tillage, farming can be very productive. Fieldwork by USDA for Kiowa County soil survey was mostly completed in 1976-77.

Agricultural land is 60% (660,000 acres) cultivated and 40% (450,000 acres) range land for grazing. Approximately 6,000 acres of the cultivated land are irrigated from wells. Cultivated acres generally fall in two classes of soil, sandy and loam. Sandy land has traditionally been planted to continuous cropped grain sorghum and forage sorghum while the loamy soils have been planted to winter wheat in a summer-fallow rotation.

In recent years a substantial increase in acreages of oil type sunflower seed and dry land corn has been occurring. Millet (90% for grain) is also a minor crop in the county.

Currently 30% (205,000 acres) of the cultivated land in Kiowa County is planted to grass under the Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program. This CRP land is under a 10-year contract to remain in permanent vegetative cover. Most contracts expire in 2007 and 2008.

Private livestock operations are almost entirely beef cattle. Cow / calf and stocker operations (35,000 head) are common. Livestock sales are mainly handled by sale barns in La Junta and Burlington, Colorado. Heritage Farms Inc. operates a major commercial breeding and confined swine operation in Kiowa County and a feed mill in Brandon.

Agri-business enterprises in Kiowa County involve grain elevators in Haswell, Eads, Brandon, Sheridan Lake and Towner. Commercial agricultural chemical applicators, fuel suppliers, and parts stores are located throughout the county. Over 2,000,000 bushels of commercial and 5,000,000 bushels of on farm grain storage is available in the county.

Implement dealers and farm and ranch suppliers are located in nearby towns within a thirty minute drive.

Complete details on crops, soils, climate, water supply, physiography, relief and drainage, and copies of soil surveys are available from the USDA Service Center in Eads.

Implement dealers and farm and ranch suppliers are located in nearby towns within a thirty minute drive.

Complete details on crops, soils, climate, water supply, physiography, relief and drainage, and copies of soil surveys are available from the USDA Service Center in Eads.