By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
Kenneth McAlister’s combine rolls through fields of wheat in Electra, harvesting the amber waves of grain after a challenging growing season.
Last fall when McAlister planted the crop, North Texas—where he farms in Wilbarger, Wichita and Archer counties—was still dry after months of devastating drought.
This spring and early summer, however, was a stark contrast to last year’s dry conditions. Rains fell so often that harvest was delayed.
But even with the challenges, McAlister is hopeful about this year’s crop.
“It’s a pretty good crop to watch grow. It can be aggravating to spend a lot of money on a crop and later see it get wiped out from weather, but we’ve been lucky this year,” McAlister said. “This year is like winning the lottery. Last year wasn’t a good crop year for us because of the drought, but this year, we’ve had some moisture to produce a pretty good wheat crop.”
McAlister grows hard red winter wheat and begins planting in October and November. He practices no-till farming, leaving the straw standing after harvest.
“We try to protect and maintain our soil health. The more residue you can leave standing or the more residue you can keep in the field, the better you are,” McAlister said. “Soil health to us is what you have to have for a good crop. We’re standing on top of this earth eating, but we have microbes in the soil that are helping us.”
McAlister begins harvesting his fields after Memorial Day and usually runs until the end of June. With nearly 5,000 acres of wheat, he’s been harvesting for three weeks in between recent rainfall.
“We’re harvesting a pretty good wheat crop this year,” he said. “We’re doing better because we had some subsoil moisture. We got some timely rains, but we had some acres not get quite as much rain as the others.”
Once the wheat is harvested, it’s taken to a grain elevator where it will later be turned into bread or used for cattle feed.
But the wheat market has taken a beating, McAlister said.
“Nobody wants to buy wheat right now with the uncertainty of everything going on in the world with money and interest rates,” he said.
Despite the challenges, McAlister shared he enjoys farming with his family every day.
“My favorite thing about being a farmer is watching my family come together in our operation,” McAlister said. “I enjoy watching our crops grow and turn into a successful year with my family by my side.”
McAlister is a third-generation farmer and rancher. He r farms in Wilbarger, Wichita and Archer counties where he primarily grows wheat, cotton, sorghum, corn and raises cattle.
The farm began with his grandfather in the late ’50s. McAlister’s father moved his family back to Electra to farm in the 1960s and he followed in his footsteps to farm full time after high school. Today, McAlister farms with his sons and grandchildren.
“This is a way of life and I enjoy it. I enjoy that every day there is a new challenge, but it’s nice to be with your kids and your family,” he said.
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