Bruce Wetzel
CPAT Secretary/Treasurer
Sherman, Texas
Bruce Wetzel farms near the North Texas towns of Sherman, Tom Bean and Whitewright, Texas. He grows 2,500 acres of corn, 2,500 acres of wheat, 500 acres of grain sorghum, 400 acres of sunflowers and 150 acres of soybeans.
Wetzel has been in the farming business for 30 years. He is a third-generation farmer, which has helped him understand how deep the root of agriculture is in his life.
“I went off to Grayson Community College, now Texas A&M Commerce, and all I could think about was getting back to the farm,” Wetzel says. “Farming is just what I’ve always thought about and what I realized I wanted to do.
Serving on TCPB and CPAT has helped him gain education in different issues that are happening in the corn industry, Wetzel says. The issues of aflatoxin and the grain elevator bankruptcy have been the most important concerns for growers in the North Texas area, Wetzel explains.
While serving on the Boards, Wetzel has set goals for the corn industry.
“I would like to see clay binders approved for using aflatoxin mitigation,” Wetzel says. “I hope to see the indemnity fund, support for growers when grain elevators go bankrupt, become established for producers.”
Farming in North Texas allows for producers’ corn fields to be more drought-tolerant than others, Wetzel says. He adds that the new drought-tolerant corn hybrid seeds being offered by Pioneer are sure to help the area two-fold.
Even though Wetzel is a farmer and active board member, he is above all a family man. He has been married to his wife Bobby for 30 years and they have two sons: Chad, 27, who is interning for the National Association of Wheat Growers and Paul, 25, who is an Army medic.
In his free time, Wetzel enjoys aviation and he has a private pilot’s license.
Wetzel sums up his passion for being on the board and continues to be an advocate for agriculture.
“I enjoy serving on the corn board because of the friends I am able to make,” Wetzel says, “I enjoy visiting with other producers and learning about their operations in other regions of Texas.”
