MANHATTAN, Kan. (Sept. 17, 2026) — Kansas Sorghum is proud to announce the launch of the Sorghum State Foundation, a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that will support the mission of the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission (KGSC). By establishing a 501(c)(3) public foundation within the Kansas Sorghum network of organizations, sorghum producers in Kansas will gain access to expanded public and private financial resources designed to advance sorghum in markets and resource conservation that will deliver broad public benefits.
“Sorghum is an iconic Kansas crop known for overcoming extreme pressures each growing season, just like its farmers who overcome the challenges of the High Plains region every year,” said Brant Peterson, Chairman of the KGSC and a farmer from Stanton County. “Sorghum is also a critical tool for building our rural livelihoods. Our organizations exist to continually enhance that tool. Since the foundation will serve as an extension of the KGSC and its directors, who are in turn elected by farmers across the entire state, we are proud to say that the Sorghum State Foundation will be operated by and for Kansas farmers.”
“We applaud the KGSC’s innovative work to establish the Sorghum State Foundation,” said Andy Hineman, President of the Kansas Sorghum Producers Association (KSP) and a farmer from Lane County. “For decades, Kansas farmers have produced over half of the U.S. sorghum crop each year. Today, the Sorghum State Foundation provides an innovative new pathway for companies, supply chains, and the general public to invest in outcomes alongside sorghum producers toward a brighter future.”
“With the launch of the Sorghum State Foundation, we are immediately activating the forward-looking pillars of Kansas Sorghum’s Five-Year Strategic Plan adopted by our directors last month,” said Adam York, CEO and Administrator for Kansas Sorghum. “For over a decade, Kansas Sorghum’s two organizations have collaborated effectively by harnessing their overlapping mission to advance sorghum in Kansas. However, where years of operational limits surfaced critical gaps in scaling our purpose, farmer leadership now identified the compelling need for the Sorghum State Foundation’s model, which will bolster existing efforts to serve Kansas farmers, enhance High Plains agriculture, and advance our state.”
