Jim Wells County AgriLife Extension Agents hosts field crop tour

• Jim Wells County AgriLife Extension Agents hosted a field crop tour in Jim Wells County.
• Part of the tour gave the community the chance to learn about crops and how they grow.
• AgriLife Extension Agents said that this year's weather in the county was the perfect combination that led to an early harvest.

Learning about crops! Experts led a field crop tour in Jim Wells County on Thursday, June 13th, to showcase how farmers got their best product in harvest season.

The field crops tour made a few stops in Jim Wells County looking at cotton, grain, and corn fields.

Agricultural experts said these crops and the science behind them depend on what farmers have no control over - weather.

"It's a good year,” said Rogelio Mercado, Jim Wells County AgriLife Extension Agent.

Mercado and other agriculture experts took the community on the tour with a purpose.

"It's a way to give everybody a nice middle to end of the season update and learn a little bit along the way,” said Josh McGinty, Extension Agronomist.

Josh McGinty is an extension agronomist who stressed the importance of teaching the community about agriculture.

Just take a drive, and you’ll see there’s cotton, corn, and grain.

The tour gave local tourists the opportunity to understand some of the ins and outs of the crop - from the seed to the growth - especially in this South Texas weather.

"We showcase several variety trials in cotton, sorghum grain, and corn and this allows our producers to see what those different varieties will do in this year's growing conditions here in Jim Wells County,” Mercado said.

Farmers took advantage of the doo winter to plant in the spring. With more rain in April and a dry May - Mercado said grain and corn were just right.

Cotton is the last crop in South Texas to be planted because it needs longer days in the sun.

Mercado said farmers are hoping to get more rain shortly for cotton growth.

An agent with the Jim Wells County AgriLife Extension said these crops are specific to the South Texas area. Soon, these crops will be harvested and enter our stores and our homes.

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