Farming on Mars

Josh Snodgrass is a farmer in Crosby County. We talked about how he got started farming, the goals that he has for his operation, and daily habits that benefit him as a farmer. 

Melba Ware moved to Cone, TX with her parents and siblings (one of them being my dad's dad) in 1920. She recounts moving to the plains, family history, and how farming had progressed at that time in this interview. Melba would have been 70 at the time of this recording. Recorded January 1980 in Cone and interviewed by Richard Mason. Received a copy from the Southwest Collection on the Texas Tech University Campus. 

Chaney Light is a farmer in Lubbock, Hale, and Floyd County. We talked about why he loves farming dryland cotton, farming on his own at such a young age, and how to avoid comparing yourself to other farmers.  Special Guest: Savana Ware --- Podcast Music: Kody West "Melody" 

Katy Jane Seaton owns Farmhouse Vineyards in Meadow, TX, along with her husband and his sister and their brother-in-law. We talked about how she got into the wine industry, the grapes that they grow and the wines that they sell as part of their own brand, as well as the obstacles and best parts of growing grapes on the South Plains. Farmhouse Vineyards has a tasting room in Brownfield open Thursday- Saturday, as well as one in Johnson City, TX in the Hill Country. --------------- www.farmhousevineyard.com -------------- Podcast Music: Melody - Kody West

Greg Mattocks is the owner of Crosby Co. Pump & Machine in Crosbyton, TX. We talked about how he got into the pump business, making recommendations to farmers, and how farmers can make their pumps last longer.

Dusty Cornelius has a diversified operation in Crosby County. He owns a drip irrigation business, farms, and is a partner in Blanco Gin, among other ventures.Podcast Music: Kody West - Melody

Luis Sanchez is the Owens Coop Gin Superintendent and a farmer in the Owens area. He talks about how he started out working for the gin, farming on his own, and how both of his roles influence each other.

Gary Evitt is a recently retired farmer from the Idalou area (Lubbock County). We talked about how he started using cover crops on his fields and switching to no-till, his thoughts on the future of cotton farming on the South Plains, and the peaks and valleys of his farming career.

Kevin Brinkley is the president and CEO of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA), which is a marketing cooperative based in Lubbock owned by farmers in TX, OK, KS, and NM. We talked about the history of PCCA, how they help farmers market their cotton, and how PCCA innovations like TELCOT and the Seam have enhanced their ability to help farmers get their cotton to the right people at the right time.

Walt Norris is a farmer in Crosby County. We talked about his farming operation, how rain influences his mood, the good and bad years from his farming career, stories from his family, and the future of farming on the South Plains. This week's photo taken by Canyon WarePodcast Music: Kody West - "Melody"

Dr. Murilo Maeda is the extension cotton specialist and assistant professor for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Lubbock. We talked about growing up around his family's farming operation in Brazil, the WTO case between Brazil & the US, differences between cotton farming in Brazil and West Texas, and his path to his current role here on the South Plains. Podcast Music: "Melody" - Kody West

Brady Raindl is a cotton trader for ECOM USA in Lubbock. He and his wife also own Cotton Row Clothier, which is a cotton-based apparel company with shirts and caps that are made here in the U.S. from primarily Texas cotton. We talked about what a cotton trader does, different ways farmers can market and sell their cotton, cotton futures, and what sparked his interest in wanting to start Cotton Row. Use code MARS for 15% off the Cotton Row Clothier website!Podcast Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Interview recorded on August 22 Jerry Cave is a farmer from the Flower Grove-Ackerly area. He talks about coming back to the farm after his service in the Army, stories from his life as a dryland farmer, and advice for younger farmers. Podcast Music: Kody West "Melody

Sam Stanley is an entirely no-till cotton and corn farmer in the Levelland area (Hockley County). He talks about his decision to switch to a no-till system, drip irrigation, 30-50 row spacing, cotton marketing, and why he was always drawn to farming. Podcast Music: Kody West "Melody"

Dwight Roye is a farmer in the Ralls area and along with his two sons, he is the co-owner/operator of Beta Ag, Inc., a custom application business that also sells seed and fertilizer. He talks about the golden years of irrigation in Crosby County, some equipment history (sandfighters, buster planters, etc.), and why technology will become even more vital to the cotton industry on the South Plains.

Farming on Mars update! Answering what's been going on, when new episodes are coming, and what my new adventure is...The quote in this episode is from Paul Whitfield Horn (1927).

Dr. Peter Dotray is a professor of weed science at Texas Tech University and holds a joint appointment with Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension, where he is the Extension Weed Specialist on the High Plains. We talked about what first piqued his interest about weed science, the updated dicamba label, and the challenges of controlling weeds on the South Plains. Podcast Music: Kody West || "Melody" (used with permission)

Jennifer Blackburn is the External Affairs Director for National Sorghum Producers and the Sorghum Check-Off. We talked about some of the interesting new uses for grain sorghum, why agriculture means everything to her, and the Sorghum Smart Talk podcast. (Plus fun fact, she was on the National Champion Livestock Judging team for Tech a few years back -- wreck 'em!) Go check out Sorghum Smart Talk Podcast (iTunes + Spotify + all other podcast platforms)!Podcast Music: Kody West || "Melody"

Emory Geye is a senior plant and soil science student at Texas Tech from Rising Star, where he and his family farm cotton and peanuts. He talks about starting out as a young farmer, his thoughts about the future of farming and taking care of the soil, and the importance of farming to his family.Podcast Music: Kody West: "Melody" (used with permission)

Janet Thornton is an education specialist for the Region 17 Education Service Center and has lived on the South Plains her entire life. We talked about the challenges that rural school districts face, how small communities can retain teachers, opportunities for young people back in their small communities, and similarities between farming and teaching. Podcast Music: Kody West || "Melody"

Kody Bessent, who is the vice president of operations and legislative affairs for Plains Cotton Growers, talks about being a voice for cotton farmers and communicating their needs in Austin and Washington and, D.C., the 2018 Farm Bill, agricultural trade issues, and his deep roots in agriculture on the South Plains. Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

Tim Cooper is the District Seed Manager for WinField United (the ag division of Land O'Lakes) in the West Texas and New Mexico region. We talked about changes in the cotton industry around the South Plains, the importance of communicating and promoting agriculture, as well as his thoughts on how technology and farm operation size will continue to change in the future.Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

Katy Sutton and Freddy Harkey are a father-daughter farming team, who both farm in Lubbock County. They talk about their respective farming operations, their philosophies on making crop input decisions, and where they think the future of the cotton industry on the South Plains is heading.--I apologize for the slight sound malfunction towards the later part of the episode. My mic was acting up! --Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

Allen Crausbay owned and operated Crosby County Pump and Machine for over 40 years, a business that his family started in the 1950s. He talked about how his business has helped farmers, how to fit the right pump to the right well, and how to treat people right in "If you can control your own destiny, that’ll be the best position you’ll ever be in."Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

Kassadi Rinehart is the Territory Manager for Phytogen Cottonseed in six counties to the north and east of Lubbock, including Lubbock County. She talks about how she ended up selling cottonseed in the Lubbock area after judging livestock in college, as well the history of Phytogen, Enlist varieties, and Phytogen’s increasing presence in the Kansas cotton industry. "As you compare a cotton farmer to another kind of a farmer, just the amount of pride... the way people talk about it...and the hard work that goes into it, it’s very unlike another crop.”Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

Joseph Burke, a graduate student working on his PhD in soil science at Texas A&M University with two degrees from Texas Tech University (wreck 'em!), talks about his winding path to soil science and his research on the Texas High Plains.Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

Brooks Ellison, a cotton farmer in the Crosbyton area, talks about his dryland farming operation, making input decisions, and advice for young people in agriculture. Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

Dr. Katie Lewis, a professor and soil scientist with a joint appointment between Texas Tech & Texas A&M AgriLife Research, talks about her passion for soil, the delicate balance between ensuring profitability and taking care of the soil, as well as why her connection to farming is the basis of her research.Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

James & Lacey Todd, both lifelong agriculturists on the South Plains who run an independent crop consulting business in the Plainview area, talk about the role of a crop consultant on the farm, as well as where the balance lies between progress and tradition in agriculture.Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

James Santucci, who farms cotton in the Mississippi Delta and worked at the Stoneville Experiment Station for almost 50 years, talks about how the farming landscape in the Delta has changed in recent years and the many mechanical experiments (such as the parabolic subsoiler) that he worked on while at Stoneville. “You better think twice before you just jump into cotton. If you’re gonna get into cotton, you need to be there for the long haul.”Music: Kody West “Melody” (used with permission)

Dr. Johnson, who is the head of the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, Mississippi and worked in Lubbock for 20 years before coming to Stoneville, talks about the similarities and differences between the South Plains & the Delta, as well as the historic Stoneville Experiment Station. Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

James & Tretha Caddell, who farm in Crosby County, talk about changes in rural communities through the years, farming before herbicides, and the importance of cotton to the region.“When you have a passion to do something, you’re gonna be successful” Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)

Shannon Adkins, a cotton farmer in Crosby and Lubbock County, talks about weed control and cover crops on his farming operation and why he loves to farm on the South Plains.“I always enjoyed planting something and watching it grow… try to keep it clean, make it look as good as you can, and make it produce as good as you can. Taking that to harvest and completing it, there’s just a fulfillment in that.” Music: Kody West "Melody" (used with permission)