Country World Archives 2001-2008
Retired farm manager practices what he preached
By KRISTY HEMMINGSEN | Country World East Texas
April 12, 2001 -- For nearly 30 years, Doug Blackard held the position of campus farm manager for Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. Now retired, he has moved back "home" to the Mount Pleasant area and is applying the lessons he once taught to his own cow/calf operation.
Moving back home was something Blackard had always planned on doing; he just didn't know it would take almost 30 years before he was back for good.
In the 1970s, with a college degree in hand from SHSU, Blackard moved back to Titus County to work as the ag instructor at Winfield High School. But after two years of teaching at WHS, Blackard received the offer from his alma mater to become their assistant farm manager.
Blackard said he had enjoyed the few years he and wife Barbara had previously spent in Huntsville and really did not mind going back, especially on the basis of having a good career opportunity.
So, Blackard and his wife packed their bags again and moved back to Huntsville. While working, Blackard decided to also finish the masters degree he was pursuing, and his wife continued her college education.
Throughout the next few years, the couple would have two children -- daughter Melinda and son Chad.
After only two years as the assistant farm manager, the farm manager position became available. It was offered, and Blackard accepted. In addition to his manager duties, he also taught animal science classes at SHSU.
Throughout the 26 years Blackard was in Huntsville, he kept the idea of moving back to the Mount Pleasant area in mind.
His childhood farm near Mount Pleasant, approximately 400 acres, was sold to a coal mine company, and Blackard jumped at the first opportunity to lease it from the company, although he still lived in Huntsville.
Eventually he would also purchase an additional 200-plus acres down the road from the family land.
Years later, with the children married and moved away, Blackard and his wife grew more anxious to move back "home" and begin farming the land they now leased and owned.
With four years left until retirement, Blackard resigned from the SHSU farm manager position and chose only to teach at the university, giving him and his wife, who had also became a teacher, the opportunity to live in Titus County during the summer months until his retirement was final.
The Blackards had already built their retirement home on the 200-plus acre farm they had purchased, but by living in the home for such short periods at a time, they were unable to have it insured.
With this in mind and still anxious to move, Blackard resigned from SHSU in 1993. Back "home" in Titus County, he taught four years of science classes at Mount Pleasant High School so he could receive his full teacher's retirement.
Blackard then became a full-time cattle producer using the techniques he once taught and strongly believed in.
Currently, he and his wife own about 200 momma cows in a primarily commercial and registered Brangus cow/calf operation.
In addition to the accumulated 600-plus acre operation, Blackard leases a few more places and has just purchased an additional 142 acres across the road from his house.
Throughout his 30-plus years of teaching, as well as being SHSU's farm manager, Blackard said they were always putting improved farm methods into use.
Based on what he used to teach his students, Blackard believes in using good, and modern, farm management practices for running his cow/calf operation. "I try to be as progressive in my farming as much as I can. I practice what I have preached to students for many years."
He said he strongly believes in culling hard, keeping top-notch cattle records, palpating his own cows, baling his own hay, mowing his pastures, and distributing his own herbicides.
Blackard has also improved his pastures by establishing his own grasses such as Coastal bermudagrass and a few Tifton varieties.
Every year, after the first cutting of hay, Blackard sprays his meadows with herbicide forcing only the existence of his established grasses, getting rid of rye grass and native grasses.
He also does custom hay baling on the side and sells a lot of round and square hay bales. The quality square bales he produces each year are primarily made to sell to the large number of area horse owners.
Blackard also builds and mends his own fences. He said keeping well-maintained fences is part of maintaining a properly-managed cattle operation.
It is evident that Blackard is a firm believer in doing most of the work and up-keep of the place himself.
"The farm belongs to me and my wife and I believe we are the ones who should take care of it," he explained. He uses outside help when absolutely necessary.
Blackard is also a big believer in the NETBIO back-grounded calf program and believes it's the way of the future.
Blackard's wife found a teaching position in the Mount Pleasant school system, but said she looks forward to farming full-time with her husband someday.
"Barbara was very helpful on the farm she grew up on," said Blackard. "She enjoys this way of life and is already a large part in helping maintain our cattle operation.
"Farming and raising cattle is my hobby as well as my job," said Blackard. "I love doing it."
In addition to being a farmer, Blackard also is a part-time preacher, something he has done ever since his college days.
"I had a wonderful career at Sam Houston. It's the place I earned and received my degrees, and taught for several years," he shared. "I lived there and raised a family."