I don't always do my homework before crossing a state line or heading down a stretch of highway. Sometimes I find it suits me better to just light onto the road and gather little known facts along the way. That was my state of mind as I crossed into Kansas, traversing the state in nearly a straight line until wandering off I-70. Giving little notice to the map on the passenger seat, I zigzagged dirt roads until I found myself awash in sea of gold and green. Turning in any direction were wheat fields as far as the imagination could stretch. A nearly inaudible breeze was perceptible only by the shimmering wave left in its wake. And it is here, alongside this whispering Midwestern field that I am introduced to the two main drivers of the Kansas economy. Once again, I am reminded that learning doesn't always require a textbook and wandering can serve as a trustworthy guide.