Sorghum has and will always be a part of Kelsey’s story.
From growing up on her family’s western Kansas farm, to helping lead one of the nation’s top sorghum milling facilities, the crop has simultaneously grown her passion for the agriculture industry and her career.Today, she serves as Chief Financial Officer for Nu Life Market in Scott City and the newly elected Vice President of the Kansas Sorghum Producers Board of Directors.Through these roles, Kelsey creates new opportunities for sorghum far beyond Scott City.
While many producers plant sorghum for its resilience, Kelsey sees a unique opportunity emerging after the crop is harvested in the fall.Every day, she gets to work with domestic and international food manufacturing professionals, looking to utilize sorghum as a consumer ingredient, bridging the gap between farmers and consumers who may not even realize they’re already enjoying it.
“[Nu Life Market] has really expanded the opportunity for sorghum,” Kelsey said. “Fifteen years ago, we were a primarily flour company. Today, we’ve followed food trends into meals and ingredients for large food manufacturers.”
The shift in Nu Life Market’s product line up is clear: consumer interest in sorghum is continuing to grow.
Sorghum’s presence in the marketplace continues to expand, with the grain appearing in everything from breakfast cereals and baking mixes to snack foods and baby food. As product developers look for versatile ingredients that meet evolving consumer preferences, sorghum is finding new opportunities.
“My perspective is that sorghum continues to grow as people become more aware of it,” Kelsey said. “Consumers are now wanting the products with cleaner labels and simple ingredients, and if you take a look at sorghum it’s exactly that.”
For Kelsey, one of the most rewarding parts of her work is getting to help consumers understand how versatile the crop is.
When introducing someone to sorghum for the first time, Kelsey often starts with its story. She explains that it’s naturally gluten free, non-GMO, and well-suited for the dry conditions that many producers know all too well across western Kansas. Then she shares something that many people don’t even expect: there’s a good chance they’ve already tried it.
“I enjoy sharing the story behind the crop,” she said. “It’s amazing how many food products sorghum can be used in.”
Working at Nu Life Market has also given Kelsey a new appreciation for everything that happens after grain leaves the field.
Every single bushel of sorghum entering Nu Life’s processing facility is carefully tested, cleaned with precision, milled, and packaged before becoming an ingredient.. Through strict food safety standards and traceability metrics, every product can be traced back to the Kansas farm where it was grown.
“I definitely appreciate everything that goes into it,” Kelsey said. “When we sold grain as a commodity that was one perspective. Now I get to see it become a value-added ingredient.”
That connection between producers and consumers is something she believes deserves the center stage.
“I think there’s a disconnect between agriculture and consumers,” Kelsey said. “We all need to be passionate about helping tell agriculture’s story.”
Whether she’s speaking with food scientists at trade shows or sharing sorghum recipes with family and friends, Kelsey sees every conversation as a vital chance to build that connection.
One of her most cherished examples happens every Thanksgiving.
“I’ll make something with sorghum, and people don’t even realize they’re eating it,” she said with a laugh. “Then I’ll tell them, ‘You’re eating sorghum. It’s from our field in Kansas.”
After she was recently elected as the Vice President of Kansas Sorghum Producers Association, Kelsey hopes to continue to advocate for producers while expanding markets and opportunities for the crop she has spent her life around.
“Sorghum has played such a huge role in my life,” she said. “It’s important that producers have a strong voice as we continue building markets and creating new opportunities for all future generations.”
Looking ahead, her vision is simple, but extremely clear.
“I would like to see sorghum become a household staple,” she said. “It’s super nutritious, versatile and sustainable.”
For Kelsey, every new consumer who discovers sorghum represents another opportunity to tell agriculture’s story. As awareness grows, so does the potential for the crop—and for the farmers who have grown it for generations.
