The Eastern New Mexico News - Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

TULSA – Ryan Williams, a crop and cattle farmer from Farwell, Parmer County, Texas was chosen as one of four National Outstanding Young Farmers by The United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees) on February 13 at their 2010 Awards Congress in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ryan Williams has always wanted to raise his family on the land that his great grandfather settled. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Economics, he began farming 960 acres that he rented from his father.

Eleven years later, Ryan raises corn, cotton, wheat, green beans, milo, and stocker cattle on 8,160 acres near Farwell, Texas. Ryan has found that strip tillage is most effective with his irrigated crops, while all the dryland farms have been converted to no-till.

A 70 foot no-till air seeder allows him to plant 600 acres a day, and the use of GPS and auto steer saves money on fuel, chemical, seed, and fertilizer. Having experienced the frustration of waiting for custom harvesters to arrive in a timely manner, Ryan purchased two forage machines and an ag bagger to harvest his own crops as well as those of his neighbors. This investment has resulted in the harvest of better quality silage, which he sells to local dairies, as well as providing additional income from custom harvesting.