Heart of Texas Fertile Ground for Ag Business
Published Apr 24, 2008
With fertile soil, annual rainfall that averages 32 inches and a 253-day growing season, the region has a strong agricultural sector.
Growing up on a family ranch and having managed a cattle operation for 15 years, Scott Felton knows the value of a hard day’s work in the Heart of Texas region. Today, as the head of community banking for Wells Fargo in Waco, Felton sees first-hand the strong impact agriculture continues to have on the local economy.
“This area has always been relatively diverse with respect to the types of agricultural enterprises,” Felton says. “It’s an important part of our history and an important part of our economy.”
With fertile soil, annual rainfall that averages 32 inches and a 253-day growing season, the six-county region is an agricultural heartland. In addition to producing crops such as corn, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, peaches, pecans, cotton and Christmas trees, the area is known for its livestock and poultry operations.
According to statistics from the Waco-based Texas Farm Bureau, the Heart of Texas region was expected to generate nearly $400 million in revenues from agricultural products in 2007, placing it among the state’s leaders.
“Agriculture is strong here, and I don’t see that impact changing drastically into the future. One of the things that has changed in a positive way, however, is agricultural sales in the poultry business,” Felton says. “It has had a very big impact.”
Preparing Poultry for Market
One major player in the poultry business locally is Sanderson Farms Inc. In August 2007, the Laurel, Miss.-based company opened a 180,000-square-foot facility in Waco.
“When we’re fully operational, the plant will represent a more than $80 million capital investment and create 1,400 new jobs for the market,” says Bob “Pic” Billingsley, director of development and engineering for Sanderson Farms. “We’re expecting to run 1,250,000 head of chickens per week” through the facility.
For local farmers, the volume of poultry processed by Sanderson Farms means a tremendous opportunity to supply feed for chickens.
“The tertiary investment of farmers in the surrounding counties – primarily eastern McLennan, Falls and Limestone – is in excess of $100 million,” says Sarah Roberts, vice president of economic development for the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. “The poultry industry makes such a direct impact on the rural areas.”
Another national poultry company with a big presence in the region is Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim’s Pride, which also operates a processing facility in Waco.
“The poultry industry has provided a real shot in the arm for agriculture in this region,” says McLennan County Judge Jim Lewis. “Area farmers are very excited about it.”
Lewis says local officials are focused on continuing to move the Heart of Texas region forward as additional agribusiness-related opportunities arise.
“Coming down the pike I see the possibility for an ethanol plant in the region. There’s already been some talk along those lines,” he says.
Story by Valerie Pascoe
Photo by Stephen Cherry
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