Strong turnout shows Jim Wells County growers want crop guidance

A strong turnout at the Jim Wells County Fairgrounds Women’s Building showed how urgently local growers want crop guidance they can use right away. In a county where every planting decision can affect yields, irrigation needs and farm finances, the crowd signaled that producers are looking for answers before the season moves any further.

The Jim Wells County Row Crops Seminar was held Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 3001 S Johnson St. in Alice. Registration began at 8:30 a.m., and presentations started at 9:00 a.m., giving growers a chance to compare notes and hear practical information in person through Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

The turnout matters because agriculture remains a major piece of the county economy. USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture profile for Jim Wells County reported 960 farms and 398,796 acres in farms. The same profile put total farm sales at $72,616,000, with crops accounting for 55% of sales and livestock, poultry and products making up 45%. It also listed 116,011 acres of cropland and 2,453 irrigated acres, numbers that show how much local producers depend on good decisions about water, planting and crop management.

The Jim Wells County AgriLife Extension Service office in Alice, at 200 North Almond St., B110, serves as the county’s main educational hub for that work. Rogelio Mercado is listed as the county extension agent for agriculture and natural resources and county coordinator, and the local team also includes Teresa Lopez, Angelica Torres, Mary Salinas and Sylvia Gonzalez. The office lists hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The seminar also fit a long-running pattern in Jim Wells County. A 2017 extension summary said row crops such as cotton, corn and grain sorghum were grown on about 85,000 acres in the county, and that extension faculty worked through 11 educational program efforts that reached more than 550 agricultural producers. That report included row crop programming such as a planter and sprayer clinic, a crop tour and seminar, and a multi-county row crop symposium.

For Jim Wells County, a crowded seminar is more than a good turnout. It is evidence that growers still see extension advice as part of how they protect yields, manage costs and keep the county’s farm economy moving.