Cropping systems and soil health in Foster County

Winter wheat, soybeans and grain sorghum were the common crops in northeast Kansas when I was growing up.

A field of corn was a rare sight. The corn varieties at the time didn't perform well during hot, dry Kansas summers.

We grew grain sorghum (also called "milo") because it was a reliable crop under our growing conditions. It also made reasonably good livestock feed.

That's not to say that grain...