David Ford
Dumas, Texas
David Ford of Dumas, Texas, farms land in Hartley and Moore counties. He grows 3,000 acres of corn, 1,000 acres of wheat and 2,000 acres of cotton with his brother, Donald, and his sons, Jeff and Kevin. Ford also has a 250 head cow/calf operation. His farm forms a legacy of four generations.
Ford is an active director for both TCPB and CPAT, working toward keeping the corn industry strong and productive.
"I wanted to be more involved in the direction of corn production in Texas and do my part to improve things for producers," Ford said about serving on the board.
According to Ford, water conservation is among the most important issues that currently affects Texas corn producers.
“I decided to become involved with water conservation in order to save water and be more economically efficient,” Ford said.
Ford explained that different equipment manufacturers are starting to get on board and gear up for water conservation, which helps producers keep better track of the amount of water they are using.
When Pioneer released the Optimum AQUAMax hybrids, on Jan. 5, 2011, many farmers were interested in what this might mean for conserving water. Ford is one farmer that believes it can make an impact for producers.
“There is a strong possibility that these new hybrids will help with conserving water and as more varieties are developed, drought-tolerant products will play an even larger factor for the corn industry,” Ford said.
While some areas of Texas are more drought-prominent, Ford says that last year he was able to pump water well below the county limits.
Farmers around the state are doing their part on their own farms to conserve water, while also following regulations through the water district and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ford said.
Ford and his wife of 34 years, Vicki, have three children: Jeff; Dena, who lives with her husband John in St. Louis; and Kevin, and his wife Kylie.
