Hale County Agriculture

Cotton has been an important crop for the Hale Center area for many years. Modern means of planting, caring for, and harvesting cotton have improved the yield, and the amount of acreage that each farmer can manage. Cotton produced in the Hale Center area is shipped all over the world for production of clothing. The state of Texas grows more cotton than any other. The Texas annual yield is about 4.5 million bales (a bale weighs about 500 pounds).

Frequently Asked Questions About Cotton

Corn is America's #1 crop, and it is an important crop of the Hale Center area. Many varieties of corn are produced. As corn requires abundant moisture, adequate irrigation is important for producing a successful crop. Because of the quality of corn grown in the area, Azteca Milling, a corn production facility just north of Hale Center, is expanding to become the largest facility of its type in the world.

Over 3,500 products at the supermarket contain corn or corn by-products. Corn is used to make ethanol, a clean burning automobile fuel. Corn is also used to make biodegradable plastics. Every American consumes 3 pounds of corn every day through thousands of food uses and non-food uses. Whether it's corn dogs, corn oil or corn-based biodegradable plastics, corn really is America's #1 crop.

Sunflowers are also an important crop of the Hale Center area. These beautiful flowers produce seeds that are used in the confection industry and a light oil that is used in cooking many of our foods. This crop of sunflowers just north of Hale Center also adds beauty to our roadsides.