Rick Ney, owner and operator of the Texas Food Ranch, has a smile that is hard to miss. Here he is showcasing a variety of vegetables grown on the farm. (Photo: Wade Day, USDA NRCS)
SAN ANGELO, Texas — On the Texas Food Ranch in Mason County, Texas, rows of leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables can be found growing year-round.Most of the production happens exclusively under plastic tunnel systems installed with the help of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Squash, tomatoes, onions and any number of greens are just a few of the crops that can be found growing here, along with a few that you may have never seen before.
At the heart of it all, with a smile that is hard to miss, is Richard (Rick) Ney. He is a proud fifth-generation farmer and co-owner of Texas Food Ranch in Fredonia, Texas, along with his partner, Alik Hovhannisyan.
Family roots run deep on his farm and with help from NRCS, Ney is working to carry on his family’s legacy.
Not your typical farmer
Farming hasn’t always been Ney’s chosen occupation.
“My background doesn’t necessarily jive with what I’m doing now,” said Ney.
Although farming takes center stage today, his former jobs including teaching overseas and working in theatre are not exactly what you would expect.
Oddly enough though, he believes that theatre and farming share several similarities.
“The idea of theatre is that you have very intensive periods of time where you’re working like crazy and then it’s opening night — and then you go to the next one,” said Ney. “You grow the cabbage. You grow the Brassica. You grow the winter vegetables. And then it’s over and you go onto the next thing.”
He’s found that the approach to organization between farming and theatre are very similar as well. “The reality is you have to organize and be there at the right time and at the right place (on stage),” said Ney. “Know your mark. Know where you’re going to be.”
Gardening can be very similar.
With a plan in place and providing the proper growing conditions, the plants become the stars of the show.
“And then boom it’s a cabbage. Boom its broccoli. Boom its brussels sprouts,” said Ney.
His teaching experiences have also contributed significantly to who and what he is today.
His teaching career included stops at the American University in Cairo, Egypt and the American University in Armenia.
While working as an administrator and teacher in Armenia, Ney fell in love with the country.
He stayed there for 25 years, studying the country and the people, as well as being drawn to their food. He discovered that he had a taste for their produce and gained as much knowledge as he could from farmers in the local villages he frequented.
Though he cherished his time in Armenia, Texas was his forever home.
After his parents passed on, Ney said he knew it was time to return home.
Coming home
With a history of traditional farming and organic principles, the Ney Family Farm was passed down from one generation to the next.
“My great-great grandpa homesteaded the ranch and his daughter married William Lawrence Hayes (Ney’s great grandfather) who fought in the Civil War on the southern side,” said Ney.
The ranch was homesteaded in 1858. His great grandfather’s daughter, Laura, married John Stanton Capps, Ney’s grandfather.
The property was eventually passed to his mother and aunt who then managed and ran the ranch.
This was unique for the time—a woman-owned operation. Ney said neighboring ranchers were just waiting for the two women to fail, but they never did.
“They forgot one important thing,” Ney said with a smile, “These were Texas women.”
Though he didn’t grow up on the farm, he remembers fondly spending summers there.
Ney said he is proud to care for the land that his ancestors once worked.
When he returned to the property, he came with big plans in mind.
From Armenia with love
It was Ney’s idea to convert part of the ranch into a vegetable farm.
His wealth of life experience and travels would serve the ranch well in this endeavor.
“When I came here in 2015 there was no farm,” Ney said. “It was strictly cattle, goats, and sheep.” Ney said they started with vegetables in December 2015, with their first harvest the following spring.
Of the 200 acres he received, they currently farm 5 acres. The additional 195 acres are still native rangeland.
The farm boasts many different crops and specialize in old-world varieties.
These old-world varieties were collected by Ney in Armenia. During his visits to local villages, he collected seeds and cuttings of vegetables he liked. He brought the varieties back with him and planted them here.
“That’s one thing I brought back from Armenia,” said Ney. “The same kind of vegetables I can get here, I would find there, but it was a lot tastier. You’ve got to find what wants to grow and then try and make it work at the market.”
From the ground, up
Much of the planting, 90 percent or more, is done under seasonal tunnel systems.Also called hoop houses, this is the preferred growing method for the farm.
They began with low tunnels systems. This type of tunnel has a maximum height of 7-foot, up to 14-foot wide, and run as long as needed.
“We started that way because we wanted to find a passive way of controlling insects and to be able to grow all year,” Ney said.
This type of system is also easy to erect and less expensive. They currently have nine low tunnels in use on the farm.
High tunnels were the next project on Ney’s list.
Similar to low tunnels in function, they are much taller at 15 feet. That extra space acts as an air cushion that better moderates the temperature and encourages growth. Whereas low tunnelscan be used in the winter and early spring to protect crops from cold injury and wind, high tunnels have the added benefit of protecting crops during the hotter months as well.
Interested in adding high tunnels, Ney contacted the Brady NRCS field office and asked about the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). NRCS staff worked with him to develop a conservation plan and put in an application for assistance.
The relationship that has formed since has been beneficial for both Ney and NRCS.
District Conservationist Walt Broyles has learned much from the relationship. Broyles said he had never worked with high tunnel systems, but quickly got up to speed by a combination of his own research and experience with Ney.
“With the low tunnels they already had and the high tunnels that NRCS assisted with,” said Broyles, “the Texas Food Ranch is more productive. With them, they can grow different vegetables throughout the year and have the added benefit of better pest control.”
It’s clear they have found success with the current operation.
Community-first philosophy
The overall goal of the Texas Food Ranch is to connect with people in the community.
They work hard to educate their neighbors about organic food and farming. They also maintain their relationship with the community in several ways.
They work alongside organizations like the Mason Food Bank and the Austin Farmer’s Market, as well as hosting events such as Customer Appreciation Days and weekly crop baskets. They also keep them up to date on events via social media and email.
“Our business is in three directions,” said Ney. These include the Farmers Market in downtown Austin, Austin restaurants, and community supported agriculture (CSA).
Of these, Ney believes the CSA model is the most beneficial for the community.
“CSA is the one where we really provide something for the community, but the community also provides something for us,” said Ney.
While the concept is a simple one, both sides receive benefits from it.
In a CSA system, the members of the community are involved with the farm, allowing them to connect to the land and the farmers. Consumers are not only able to meet the farmers growing their food, but they are also able to develop relationships. In turn, this leads to an opportunity to learn about new vegetables, vitamin benefits, and ways of cooking.
“To the point that some customers will not only take the food that they get from it, but come out and participate by helping to weed, see how it’s growing, name plants,” said Ney. “If people have never been to a farmer’s market, they need to go to learn exactly who is raising the food that you’re eating.”
Farm to table is especially prominent in the Austin restaurant scene.
Due to this, some restaurants have gone so far as to invite Ney to speak to their wait staff. This educational exchange helps staff to better speak about menu items and make recommendations to customers. It also opens the door for Ney to sharing about the ranch, the importance of following sustainable farming and following organic principles.
“It’s a selling point for them, but again, it’s the community,” said Ney. “You’re connected to each other on a whole different layer.”
The impacts have been great, especially considering the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Afraid the ranch was set to become just another casualty to COVID-19, instead it proved to be yet another strong link between the farm and community.
“We are part of the community,” said Ney. “We’re local even though we’re growing international vegetable seeds. They’re supporting us and we support them.”
The final act
Ney admits there are much easier ways of making a living.
Though there is plenty for him and Hovhannisyan to manage, it is a labor of love.
“But we love this land,” said Ney. “We love the heritage. We love growing things for the people. And I just get the biggest kick out of someone who will come back and say, ‘I love this plant, or I love this vegetable, or my God look at this.’ You can’t put a price on that.”
Working with the NRCS has been a positive experience for the Texas Food Rand and Ney.
“Talking with people who understand the situation you are in is a big plus,” said Ney. “They want us to succeed — they care.”
They also have plans for future projects and want to explore different programs offered by NRCS.
The Texas Food Ranch will continue to educate and provide for the community they are a part of. The assistance they received from NRCS will only help to strengthen that bond and allow them to continue the work that they love.
–Story and photos compiled by Wade Day, Public Affairs Specialist, San Angelo, Texas
USDA NRCS Texas
