A hotter, drier climate and dwindling water has more Kansas farmers taking a chance on cotton

Cotton growing is on the rise in Kansas, but it still only accounts for a small fraction of the state’s farm production. Now, a combination of global warming, dwindling water and new infrastructure might set the stage for southwest Kansas to become cotton country.

MOSCOW, Kansas — Across the state, small-town grain elevators painted with corn ears and wheat heads stand as monuments to the crops’ economic and cultural significance in rural Kansas.

Cotton gins? They’re a bit harder to come by.

Farmers have grown cotton in Kansas for more than 100 years. But in a state better known for grain and beef, it’s been a challenge for the fluffy fiber to break into the agricultural mainstream.

Yet cotton might be taking hold in southwest Kansas and other parts of the Midwest where temperatures keep climbing and irrigation sources keep declining.