Farmer/Rancher or Farmer Organization Conducting the Project (500 words)
My name is Seth Fortenberry, and I farm as SSF Farms & Lone Oak Farms, located at 904 West 9th, Idalou, Texas 79329.
My phone number is 806-784-2750 and email is sfortenberry@newdealgraininc.com.
I am a fourth-generation farmer on the South Plains of Texas, and my roots in agriculture go back to my great-grandfather, W. O. Fortenberry, who purchased the land where New Deal Grain now sits in 1929. That property originally operated as the W. O. Fortenberry Gin, and it shaped the direction of my family’s work for nearly a century. Farming has always been woven into my life. I grew up working alongside my family and began farming on my own in 2002, producing cotton, wheat, milo, and corn using conventional practices.
My journey into organic agriculture started in 2006 when I met Dr. Lillian Chou, an oncologist and breast cancer survivor. She asked me to manage one of her fields organically and encouraged me to look seriously at the health benefits, environmental advantages, and long-term economic potential of organic production. Her perspective opened my eyes to the impacts of intensive conventional agriculture and convinced me that organic farming was both feasible and aligned with the way my grandparents farmed—more attuned to natural processes and soil health. That conversation pushed me to begin transitioning into organic production, and I have continued building on that commitment ever since.
Today, I farm both organic and conventional crops across Lubbock and Hale Counties, producing cotton, corn, milo, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, wheat, and barley. I manage 5,000 acres of certified organic production, much of it dedicated to supplying feed grain and forage for the large organic dairy sector in the Texas High Plains. Demand for organic corn silage remains strong, but the region lacks non-GMO corn hybrids adapted to our semi-arid, water-limited growing conditions. That limitation affects both yields and resilience for organic farmers.
To strengthen seed availability for producers in my region and beyond, I founded New Deal Grain Company in 2015. We now process organic commodities from across the United States and provide planting seed to farmers. As part of expanding this work, I have licensed two non-GMO hybrids—TAMZ106 and TAMZ107—along with their parent lines, developed by the Texas A&M AgriLife Corn Breeding Program under Dr. Wenwei Xu. These hybrids offer drought tolerance and strong agronomic performance, making them promising options for organic systems in the southern states.
Producing hybrid corn seed is a new venture for my operation, and no seed company in Texas or neighboring states currently produces proprietary non-GMO corn hybrids. This SARE project will help me build the knowledge, infrastructure, and field capacity needed to establish a reliable hybrid seed supply specifically for organic and water-limited production systems.
I am already a cooperating farmer on Southern SARE on-farm projects, and I am committed to developing seed resources that strengthen organic agriculture across the southern region.
Project Description (300 characters)
This project will develop local hybrid corn seed production for organic, water-limited farms and supply regionally adapted non-GMO hybrids that perform well under heat and drought, helping organic dairy and grain producers meet growing demand in the southern states.
Project Cooperators (500 words)
Dr. Wenwei Xu, Regents Fellow and Professor with Texas A&M AgriLife Research, will serve as the scientific collaborator for this project. His office is located at 1102 East Drew Street, Lubbock, TX 79403. Telephone: 806-723-8436. Email: wxu@ag.tamu.edu. Dr. Xu also holds a joint teaching appointment with Texas Tech University, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and mentors students in plant breeding. His corn breeding and genetics program has developed multiple stress-tolerant corn lines used widely across the southern United States. These lines emphasize drought and heat tolerance, insect resistance, ear rot resistance, and reduced risk of aflatoxin and fumonisin accumulation. His program integrates conventional breeding with molecular tools, and several of his stress-tolerant hybrids have become important resources for farmers in water-limited regions. Dr. Xu will provide the breeder and foundation seed needed for parent-line increase and hybrid seed production for TAMZ106B and TAMZ107 in Year 1. Throughout the project, he will advise me on hybrid seed production methods, including field layout, isolation requirements, synchronization of flowering, detasseling practices, and seed conditioning. His expertise ensures that the hybrid seed production system established on my farm will follow the standards required for genetic purity and high-quality seed.
Bob Whitney, Regents Fellow and Extension Organic Program Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, will serve as the Extension collaborator for this project. His office is located at 1229 North US Hwy 281, Stephenville, TX 76401. Telephone: 254-974-9442. Email: bob.whitney@ag.tamu.edu. Bob has over 40 years of experience working with organic and sustainable agriculture systems in Texas and internationally. He leads statewide outreach programs focused on soil fertility, soil health, weed management, and organic production practices. Bob maintains an extensive communication network that includes newsletters, printed outreach, social media, blog posts, and in-person and virtual training events that reach thousands of stakeholders each year. For this project, he will develop and distribute educational materials summarizing the performance of the new corn hybrids and the hybrid seed production process. He will organize field days, workshops, and online content to help farmers understand how to select and grow hybrids suited to organic and water-limited environments. Bob’s role ensures that the knowledge gained through this project is shared broadly with farmers, Extension agents, consultants, and students across the southern region.
John Doe (TBN): Cooperating farmer. More here. This farmer will grow TAMZ106B and TAMZ107 on his/her certified organic farm for silage production. (added later!)
B. Body of Proposal
Statement of Problem, Rational and Significance (1000 words)
Provide a statement of the problem. What is the problem, why does it need to be addressed, and how it is related to, or affects, the sustainability of agriculture. Your explanation should address one or more of the three pillars of sustainability: farmer profitability, environmental conservation, and community quality of life. Feel free to cite results from other studies, including related SARE projects, as evidence of a problem if needed.
Farming in the Texas High Plains has shown me that one of the most important decisions I make each season is choosing the right hybrid. In our organic and conventional systems, hybrid selection determines yield potential, water-use efficiency, standability, stress tolerance, and forage quality. For organic farmers in Texas and across the southern states, the biggest limitation we face is the lack of regionally adapted, non-GMO corn hybrids designed to perform in our semi-arid climate. Nearly all commercial hybrids, including the limited non-GMO options, are bred and produced in the Midwest, where rainfall, humidity, temperature, and pest pressure are completely different from our environment. These hybrids do not consistently perform under the heat, drought stress, and low humidity we experience, and most do not respond well to organic fertility and weed management systems. As a result, organic producers in our region face lower yields, inconsistent silage quality, and higher production risks.
The purpose of this project is to build reliable hybrid seed production capacity for organic, water-limited cropping systems. By producing seed locally, using genetics developed in Texas for Texas conditions, we can deliver high-performing hybrids directly to organic farmers in the southern states. This directly affects the long-term sustainability of agriculture in our region because hybrid performance is tied to farmer profitability, environmental conservation, and the viability of rural communities.
Our region depends heavily on irrigation from the Ogallala Aquifer, and water availability continues to decline. Wells that once pumped 600 gallons per minute now pump half or less. In this environment, every inch of water must be used efficiently. Hybrids that originate from the Midwest are bred under high rainfall or high irrigation and simply do not tolerate the level of water stress we deal with. Texas A&M AgriLife hybrids such as TAMZ106 and TAMZ107 were specifically selected for drought tolerance, strong root systems, heat tolerance, and yield stability under limited irrigation. These traits are essential for sustainable crop production in our environment, especially for organic systems that must manage fertility with compost, legumes, and natural soil processes rather than synthetic nitrogen.
The organic dairy industry in the Texas High Plains has created strong demand for organic corn silage and grain. Many organic dairies rely on local growers for feed, and they need consistent yields and forage quality. Without regionally adapted non-GMO hybrids, organic farmers struggle to meet this demand, which directly limits profitability. When the right hybrid is grown in the right environment, yields improve, and water is conserved. This project supports farmer profitability by improving the most critical input we use—seed.
Producing hybrid seed is very different from producing grain or silage. It requires precise planting schedules to coordinate flowering, field isolation to protect genetic purity, and careful pollen control. It also requires specialized harvesting and seed-conditioning systems. These systems are expensive and technically demanding, and very few farmers in the southern states have experience with hybrid seed production. Because nearly all hybrid seed production is located in the Midwest or Northwest, farmers in the South are dependent on genetics developed for other environments. Producing seed locally allows us to introduce new income streams into our rural economy, build technical capacity that does not currently exist, and support the long-term viability of organic agriculture in the region.
Sustainability includes more than profitability. It also includes conservation of natural resources and maintaining strong rural communities. Regionally adapted hybrids use water more efficiently, which reduces pressure on the Ogallala Aquifer. When hybrids are better matched to organic fields, farmers make fewer field passes, which reduces fuel use and soil disturbance. For organic growers, lodging resistance, drought tolerance, and stress recovery all reduce the need for repeated cultivation and rescue treatments. These advantages contribute to healthier soils and more resilient farming systems.
Community quality of life is also affected. Producing hybrid seed locally keeps value-added agriculture in our region, strengthens local economies, and reduces dependence on outside seed companies. When farmers have access to high-performing, locally produced, non-GMO seed, they are better able to manage risk and keep their operations profitable. Rural communities benefit when local farms stay in business and new agricultural enterprises are created.
I founded New Deal Grain Company in 2015 to process organic grains and supply planting seed. Over time, I realized that organic farmers in our region needed more than grain handling—they needed regionally adapted hybrids that perform reliably under our climate and management systems. Licensing the hybrids TAMZ106, TAMZ107, and their parent lines from the Texas A&M AgriLife Corn Breeding Program gives me access to genetics specifically designed for the High Plains. With this project, I will begin scaling hybrid seed production under organic and water-limited conditions so that organic farmers across the southern states can access the seed they need.
This project also supports public plant breeding. Texas A&M AgriLife has developed strong hybrid lines for drought and heat tolerance, but without local seed production, those genetics will not reach the farmers who need them most. By building seed production capacity on my farm, we create the missing link between public breeding programs and commercial seed availability for organic growers in the South.
The long-term sustainability of organic agriculture in the southern states depends on access to hybrids that perform under our conditions. This project addresses that problem by developing hybrid seed production capacity in the region, improving water-use efficiency, supporting organic dairy and grain markets, and strengthening rural communities. This is a direct investment in the future of organic agriculture in the South and a practical step toward building a more resilient farming system for the next generation.
Statement of Proposed Solution (Weighted score: 15, 1,000 words)
Provide a statement of the proposed solution to the problem. Describe how the solution will lead to a more sustainable outcome. Your solution should be specific, measurable, achievable, and realistic. Limited to 1,000 words.
My proposed solution is to build full hybrid corn seed production capacity on my farm so organic and non-GMO farmers in the southern states finally have access to seed that is bred, produced, and conditioned in an environment similar to their own. The lack of regionally adapted hybrids has held back organic corn production for years, especially in water-limited systems like ours. Producing hybrid seed locally, using genetics developed specifically for our climate, is the most direct and practical way to solve this problem. I have licensed two Texas A&M AgriLife hybrids—TAMZ106 and TAMZ107—and my goal is to establish a reliable system for producing their parent lines and hybrid seed on my organic acreage. These hybrids were bred in the Texas High Plains, and they bring the traits farmers in our region need: early maturity, heat and drought tolerance, insect resilience, and strong yield potential under limited irrigation. Producing these hybrids here at home will give organic farmers access to seed suited for our soils, water limitations, and climate.
To accomplish this, I will create a complete seed production system built on parent-line increase, well-designed field layouts for hybrid production, isolation, flowering synchronization, detasseling or pollen-control operations, specialized harvest techniques, seed conditioning, quality testing, and secure storage. This system is different from grain production. It demands precision, especially in protecting genetic purity, removing off-types, and coordinating flowering between male and female rows. I already manage certified organic acreage suited for hybrid production and have experience producing organic grain and seed, but hybrid production requires additional training and equipment.
My collaboration with Dr. Wenwei Xu and Bob Whitney provides the technical support needed to make this solution achievable. Dr. Xu, who bred the hybrids and parent lines, will guide our field layout decisions, isolation requirements, flowering synchrony, and detasseling steps. His team will train my staff to recognize tassel emergence stages, manage male and female rows, and maintain purity throughout the production cycle. Bob Whitney will help us integrate hybrid seed production with organic fertility management, weed control strategies, and soil conservation practices. He will also support our outreach efforts so that other farmers can learn from this project. Together, their involvement ensures our production system fits organic certification requirements while also meeting the commercial standards needed for hybrid seed.
Throughout the project, I will build the knowledge and systems required to produce high-quality hybrid seed year after year. To do this, we will track measurable indicators that tell us whether the system works and whether the seed we produce is dependable for farmers. These measurements include acres planted for parent-line increase, the amount of seed harvested from each parent line, hybrid seed yield per acre, seed purity, germination rates, and the potential number of acres that could be planted using the hybrid seed we produce. These metrics will help us evaluate how well the hybrid production system performs under organic and water-limited conditions, and whether it can be scaled up to supply farmers across the region. By collecting these data over two growing seasons, we will gain a clear picture of what hybrid seed production requires in our environment and how reliable it can be for long-term seed supply.
The final pillar of the solution is acquiring the specialized equipment needed for hybrid seed production. Producing hybrid seed requires tools beyond what is used for grain or forage. I need equipment for handling small lots of parent-line seed, cleaning and sizing hybrid seed, and conditioning seed so that it maintains viability in storage. I also need better drying and storage systems to protect seed quality. These investments are significant and would be difficult for a family-owned operation to take on without support. The SARE grant will allow me to purchase equipment and build the foundation needed for a sustainable hybrid seed enterprise.
This proposed solution leads to more sustainable outcomes in several ways. First, producing regionally adapted hybrids improves water-use efficiency. These Texas A&M AgriLife hybrids were bred for drought and heat tolerance, which means they convert limited irrigation into biomass or grain more efficiently than hybrids bred in wetter climates. Because organic farmers rely heavily on irrigation from the Ogallala Aquifer, better-adapted hybrids help conserve water and reduce stress on the aquifer. This contributes to long-term environmental sustainability for agriculture in our region.
Second, this solution improves profitability for organic farmers. When hybrids are better suited to a farmer’s environment, yield becomes more stable, stalk strength improves, and the risk of crop loss decreases. Organic farmers cannot rely on conventional fertilizers or pesticides to rescue a struggling crop, so having hybrids with stronger stress tolerance is essential. By producing seed locally, we can supply farmers with genetics that perform consistently under the heat, drought, and pest pressures common in the southern states. Better yields and improved forage quality directly strengthen farm profitability.
Third, producing hybrid seed in our region supports rural economies. Right now, nearly all hybrid seed—even non-GMO seed—comes from the Midwest. Building regional capacity keeps seed dollars in our community, creates new opportunities for agricultural labor, and adds value to our organic grain systems. This strengthens the long-term stability of rural farming communities in the southern Plains.
This solution also strengthens resilience in organic cropping systems. Hybrids that emerge well, tolerate stress, and maintain strong stalks reduce the need for rescue tillage, repeated cultivation, or other high-energy interventions. This lowers fuel use, reduces soil disturbance, and builds healthier soils. Early maturity also benefits organic dairy operations, which rely on predictable silage harvest schedules to maintain consistent feed supplies.
Finally, this project supports public breeding programs by creating a pathway for Texas A&M AgriLife genetics to reach organic farmers who need them. These hybrids were developed for the southern region, but without seed production in this region, farmers cannot benefit from them. By building this capacity on my farm, we open the door for future regionally adapted hybrid seed development and regional seed independence.
This proposed solution is specific, measurable, achievable, and realistic. It builds on the land, experience, and partnerships I already have, and adds the equipment and training needed to produce hybrid seed for organic farmers across the southern states. With this project, we will establish a sustainable seed-production system that continues long after the grant period, improving the resilience, profitability, and environmental sustainability of agriculture in our region.
Approaches and Methods (Weighted score: 25, 1,000 words)
Provide a description of the research methods, demonstrating how your solution works in addressing the statement of the problem. What are you measuring? What materials will you use? How will you collect and analyze your data? Be specific in describing project activities.
Describe the project site, research design, data collection and methods of analysis. Describe the tools and materials that will be used to conduct your research. Indicate what will be measured and how results will be evaluated.
The site where you will conduct your research; Your experimental design if your research calls for one; What you are measuring and the ways you will be measuring it; The materials and supplies you will be using to conduct your research; How you will collect your data, how often you will collect it, and what tools you will use; How you will analyze your data, and what tools you will use; How you will interpret your data and draw conclusions.
My project will take place on my certified organic fields in Lubbock and Hale Counties, where I will establish parent-line seed increases and hybrid seed production of the TAMZ106B and TAMZ107 hybrids. These fields represent the same semi-arid, limited-irrigation environment where organic farmers in the southern states grow corn, making them an ideal site to demonstrate how regionally adapted hybrids perform under real production conditions. I will use pivot-irrigated fields that meet organic certification requirements, and I will separate isolation blocks from commercial corn fields by more than 700 feet, exceeding the distance typically required by the seed industry. I will also use staggered planting dates if needed to provide additional temporal isolation and ensure seed purity.
The project begins by obtaining breeder and foundation seed of the parent lines for TAMZ106B and TAMZ107 from Dr. Wenwei Xu, who developed these hybrids through the Texas A&M AgriLife Corn Breeding Program. These hybrids share a common parent line, which simplifies the production system and allows both hybrids to be produced efficiently. I will plant each parent line in its own block to increase the amount of parent seed available for hybrid production. During parent-line increase, I will measure stand establishment, flowering time, plant vigor, disease pressure, and overall seed yield. These measurements will help determine the best field layout and planting schedule for larger-scale hybrid seed production.
Once enough parent-line seed are available, I will establish hybrid seed production blocks using distance isolation. I will plant male and female rows in alternating groups, using planting patterns recommended by Dr. Xu. Because the parent lines have similar maturity and synchronized flowering when planted on the same day, I will not need complex split-planting schedules. I will monitor growth stages daily to ensure that tassels on the female plants are removed before they shed pollen. This detasseling process ensures that all seed harvested from the female rows will result from cross-pollination by the designated male rows, producing true hybrid seed. I will track labor hours required for detasseling, tassel emergence timing, pollen shed dates, and silking dates. These records will help refine the production system and determine the feasibility of expanding hybrid seed production in future years.
During hybrid production, I will measure traits that matter to organic farmers and seed customers. These include stand counts, uniformity, flowering synchrony, plant height, ear height, lodging, disease pressure, and insect pressure. I will also monitor irrigation applied, rainfall received, and field operations performed. At harvest, I will collect hybrid seed from the female rows and self-pollinated parent-line seed from the male rows. Seed will be dried, cleaned, and conditioned using the specialized equipment purchased through this project. I will evaluate seed purity, seed size, physical quality, and germination. Samples of parent-line and hybrid seed will be tested for adventitious presence of transgenic genes to confirm that the production system remains clean and meets non-GMO requirements.
The second part of the project focuses on testing the performance of the hybrids on organic farms. I will work with two additional certified organic farmers to conduct strip trials of TAMZ106B, TAMZ107, and a commercial non-GMO hybrid currently used in the region. Each trial will include three replications, with strips at least 100 feet long and four rows wide. We will use commercial planters to establish these strips so that results reflect real production conditions. Data will be collected from the center two rows to avoid border effects.
Across the three organic farms, I will record stand establishment, early vigor, flowering dates, plant and ear height, green snap, foliar diseases, insect injury, and any stress responses observed during the season. Yield will be collected either as grain or chopped silage depending on the goals of each cooperating farmer. For silage trials, I will measure biomass yield, dry matter, and moisture at harvest. For grain trials, I will record total grain weight, test weight, harvest moisture, and lodging. These measurements will allow us to directly compare regionally adapted Texas A&M hybrids with the most commonly used non-GMO hybrid in organic systems.
To support data analysis, I will maintain detailed records for all fields involved in the project. This will include soil test results, fertilizer inputs, compost applications, irrigation schedules, rainfall, planting dates, and harvest dates. I will use GPS markings to identify locations of parent-line blocks, hybrid production blocks, and strip-trial plots. Data will be summarized using simple spreadsheet tools to compare performance across sites and treatments. I will calculate average yields, stand differences, flowering intervals, and plant health indicators for each hybrid. Data from parent-line increase and hybrid seed production will help determine how many acres of seed can be produced annually, how much purity can be maintained, and how production practices affect seed quality.
Interpretation of results will focus on determining whether the Texas A&M hybrids can be reliably produced on organic farms in the southern states and whether the hybrid production protocols can be scaled for commercial seed supply. I will evaluate whether flowering synchrony, detasseling efficiency, and distance isolation provide adequate genetic purity. I will examine whether seed yields and germination meet commercial standards. For the strip trials, I will compare yield and plant performance to understand whether TAMZ106B and TAMZ107 offer advantages over widely available non-GMO hybrids. Results will be interpreted with input from Dr. Xu and Bob Whitney, who will help identify which agronomic traits are most important for organic farmers in the region.
The methods used in this project directly address the problem organic farmers face. By increasing parent-line seed, producing hybrid seed under organic management, and testing hybrids on real organic farms, we will generate practical information and build the capacity needed to deliver regionally adapted seed to farmers. These methods measure exactly what farmers care about: yield, vigor, stress tolerance, purity, and seed quality. At the same time, the data will show whether hybrid seed production is feasible for my operation in the long term and whether these hybrids can help organic farmers achieve higher yield stability and better water-use efficiency.
Timetable (Weighted score: 10, 500 words)
Provide a timetable of the work to be completed from project start date to project end date. Outline project activities in a chronological timeline that states where, what, when and how long it will take for you to perform your project activities. Include your outreach plan in your timetable. Limited to 500 words. See the timetable example for reference.
April–May 2026: I will begin the project by collecting soil samples from all parent-line and hybrid-production fields to determine organic fertility needs. Fields will be prepared through mowing, listing, compost application, and equipment calibration. During this period, I will finalize field maps, verify isolation distances, and install field signage for upcoming tours. Breeder and foundation seed received from Dr. Xu will be planted in late April and early May, followed by planting of the hybrid-production blocks and the strip-trial plots at cooperating organic farms. As seedlings emerge, I will record stand counts, early vigor, and initial uniformity. Bob Whitney will begin outreach by announcing the project through email newsletters, social media, and the AgriLifeOrganic.org website, introducing growers to the goals and expected timeline of the hybrid seed production work.
June–August 2026: Through the summer, I will manage irrigation and organic weed control, remove off-type plants, and monitor flowering progression. Tassels on female plants in the hybrid-production blocks will be removed before pollen shed. I will collect agronomic data including flowering dates, plant height, ear height, disease ratings, and insect pressure. During peak flowering, Bob and I will host the first on-farm field day, demonstrating parent-line differences, detasseling steps, and hybrid-production layouts. Photos and videos will be recorded for later educational use. AgriLife Organic will publish updates through blog posts and social media showing crop progress and lessons learned.
September–December 2026: Harvest of parent-line and hybrid seed will begin once moisture is appropriate. I will separate male and female row harvests, record yield, and begin drying, cleaning, conditioning, and storing seed using the specialized equipment purchased for this project. Germination tests and transgene screenings will be conducted on each seed lot. Data from the season will be organized and summarized. In late fall or winter, Bob and I will conduct a workshop—either online or in person—presenting the first-year results, explaining hybrid performance, and providing training on hybrid selection for organic systems. A winter blog post and newsletter article will share these results broadly.
January–May 2027: I will collect soil samples and prepare the fields for the second production cycle, repeating the steps used in year one. Parent-line and hybrid-production blocks will be planted in April and May. As plants emerge, I will record stand counts and early vigor data. Bob and I will promote the project’s second-year activities through newsletters, social media, and AgriLifeOrganic.org, encouraging farmers to participate in summer field days.
June–August 2027: Field management, detasseling, off-type removal, and data collection will continue. I will document pollen shed, silking, root strength, disease pressure, and plant health. We will host a second field day focusing on hybrid production consistency across years, organic weed management insights, and progress toward commercial seed availability. Additional outreach will include blog posts, Spanish-language summaries, and student field visits coordinated through Bob’s networks.
September–December 2027: I will harvest and process parent-line and hybrid seed, test seed quality, and update hybrid performance profiles. Bob and I will host a second winter workshop to share two-year results, highlight producer feedback, and distribute a hybrid seed-production fact sheet. Seed will be marketed and sold to organic growers.
January–March 2028: Final data will be analyzed and summarized. I will prepare the final SARE report, and Bob will assist with producing a final digital summary and short video. Together, we will present project outcomes to farmers, students, and stakeholders through AgriLife Organic channels.
C. Outreach Plan (Weighted Score: 20, (1,000 words))
To ensure that project results are shared with farmers and ranchers, reach diverse audiences, and have the widest possible benefits for the community in furthering sustainable agriculture across the Southern region.
Indicate your outreach or educational plan for your project. Outreach plans may include workshops, field days, on-farm demonstrations, farmer training, online training efforts, curriculum development, videos and webinars, educational publications, journal articles or presentations at meetings or conferences.
Include your outreach plan in your timetable.
The outreach plan for this project is built around the partnership between me as the farmer hosting the hybrid seed production work and the established extension and education network provided by Bob Whitney and the AgriLife Organic program. Our plan is designed to reach organic and transitioning grain farmers across the southern states, as well as students, educators, and underserved audiences who rely on accessible and practical training in sustainable agriculture. By combining on-farm demonstrations, field days, workshops, digital content, and printed materials, we will ensure that the results of this project reach as many producers as possible and contribute directly to the long-term sustainability of organic agriculture in our region.
Because this project centers on hybrid seed production, much of our outreach will happen directly on my farm. Farmers strongly prefer learning from other farmers, especially when the subject involves planting decisions, field management, and practical harvest timing. For this reason, the core of our outreach will be a series of on-farm demonstration events and field tours held during key stages of the growing season. These events will allow farmers to see parent-line increase, hybrid production, and strip-trial comparisons in person, and they will also allow us to explain the steps involved in maintaining purity, synchronizing flowering, and producing high-quality hybrid seed under organic management. Bob Whitney will help coordinate these events through his network to ensure we reach a broad audience that includes growers, Extension agents, consultants, and university students.
In the spring and summer of each project year, I will host field days that highlight early-season emergence, stand establishment, off-type removal, and detasseling. These tours will provide real-world explanations of hybrid seed production steps and give producers a chance to see how parent lines differ in appearance, growth habit, and timing. During these events, Bob and I will explain how hybrid selection affects yield stability and water-use efficiency under semi-arid conditions. We will also discuss organic fertility management, weed control strategies, and irrigation scheduling as they relate to organic seed production. Dr. Xu will participate in these events when his schedule allows, offering breeders’ insights into hybrid development, parent-line traits, and genetic characteristics that are important for organic systems. Seeing these hybrids in the field will help farmers evaluate whether TAMZ106B and TAMZ107 can fit their operations.
At harvest, we will hold additional on-farm demonstrations to show how hybrid seed is harvested, separated, cleaned, and conditioned. Many organic farmers are unfamiliar with the specific steps needed to protect seed purity and maintain high-quality lots. By walking through the harvest separation of male and female rows, the cleaning and conditioning process, and the storage protocol for maintaining seed viability, we will help farmers understand the additional steps involved in producing seed versus grain. These harvest demonstrations will be especially valuable for producers who may want to explore seed production as a secondary enterprise.
The outreach plan also includes winter workshops, which will provide an opportunity to share project results after each harvest cycle. During these workshops, we will present field performance data, seed yields, germination and purity results, and comparisons between the Texas A&M hybrids and commercial non-GMO hybrids grown in our strip trials. These workshops will take place either in person or online and will be advertised through multiple channels to ensure wide participation. We will also prepare short, accessible educational materials summarizing project findings. These materials will include guides to hybrid selection for organic farmers, explanations of hybrid seed production steps, and fact sheets describing the performance of TAMZ106B and TAMZ107 under regional conditions. Bob will make these resources available through the AgriLife Organic website, which reaches thousands of visitors monthly.
Digital outreach is an essential part of our plan. Bob maintains an extensive email newsletter, printed newsletter, social media presence, blog platform, and website dedicated to organic agriculture. Through this network, we will reach farmers who cannot attend in-person events and provide ongoing updates throughout the project. Each year, Bob will write newsletter articles summarizing key observations from our fields. He will also post updates on stand counts, flowering progress, detasseling activity, and plant health. Blog posts will cover topics such as isolation strategies, organic fertility considerations, and hybrid performance. These posts reach more than a thousand regular readers and will help keep the farming community informed. Social media updates will share photographs and short videos from the field, giving growers a direct look at the hybrid production system.
Because many organic growers in Texas and the southern states are Spanish-speaking, we will prepare at least one Spanish-language outreach piece summarizing the project’s findings and explaining the benefits of the hybrids we produce. Bob has experience developing Spanish-language materials, and these resources will help ensure that Hispanic growers benefit from the project. We will also engage women in agriculture through targeted invitations to field days and workshops.
Student engagement is another important outreach component. We plan to host students from Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, and West Texas A&M University—a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution—for field tours. These tours will help students understand how hybrid seed production works, how organic systems differ from conventional systems, and why regional seed development is important for sustainable agriculture. Students will also be exposed to potential career paths in plant breeding, seed production, and organic agriculture. To support student involvement more directly, I plan to use a portion of the SARE funding to offer a summer undergraduate internship. This intern will assist with field operations and data collection, giving a student hands-on experience in hybrid seed production and organic crop systems.
As part of project deliverables, we will prepare a publicly available annual hybrid performance report that summarizes yield, agronomic characteristics, and purity results. At the end of the project, we will produce a final summary report that includes recommendations for organic farmers across the region. We will also create a short video explaining hybrid seed production steps and showing footage from the fields, which will be hosted on the AgriLife Organic website and shared through social media.
Together, this combination of on-farm demonstrations, workshops, digital outreach, student engagement, and printed materials will ensure that the project has broad and lasting impact.
D. Budget and Budget Checklist (Weighted score: 10)
| Category | Description | Amount |
| Personnel Labor | Producer (Seth Fortenberry) | 2,240 |
| Personnel Labor | Field Assistant / Student Intern – $5,600 flat rate | 5,600 |
| Travel | Traveling to fields | 1,008 |
| Travel | Travel to seed conference | 1,005 |
| Materials & Supplies | Field/plot supplies | 837 |
| Materials & Supplies | Seed handling supplies | 740 |
| Services – Soil | Soil Testing | 390 |
| Services – Seed | Seed Testing (GMO, Purity) | 1,000 |
| Equipment | Refrigerated cooler for seed storage | 1,150 |
| Equipment | Seed storage boxes | 5,600 |
| Outreach | Refreshment and supplies for field days | 180 |
| Outreach | Refreshment and supplies for workshops | 250 |
| Total | 20,000 |
| Budget Description | Details Justification |
| Labor – PI Farmer – Seth Fortenberry | Labor for the lead farmer on the project for project design, trial set-up, project observation and overall field management for seed production and conditioning. 2 hrs/wk X 16 wks @$35/hr X 2 years = $2,240 |
| Field Assistant / Student Intern | Assistant in seed production, conditioning, and data collection. 2 years total $5,600 |
| Travel | Mileage rate per federal per diem rate of 0.70/cents mile for weekly travel to and from field sites. 60 miles/wk X 12 wks @0.70/mile X 2 years = $1,008 |
| Travel | Travel to attend Texas Seed Trade Association annual meeting. Hotel for 2 nights $330, Meals ($85 x 3 days) $255, Registration $420 Total $1,005 |
| Materials & Supplies | Field/plot supplies – stakes, flags, seeds, talc, detasselers, etc. $837 |
| Materials & Supplies | Seed handling supplies – storage bags, seed sizing, sorting, cleaning. $740 |
| Services – Soil | Soil Testing to determine soil fertility. Routine (pH, NO₃-N, conductivity, and Mehlich III P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, B) + Micro + Organic Matter, $39/sample. Total $390 |
| Services – Seed | Seed Testing (GMO, Purity, etc) Cry1A, Event 603 (CP4 EPSPS), Cry3Bb, Cry1F, T25-PAT/pat, Cry34, modified Cry3A (MIR604), Cry2A, Vip3A, eCry3.1Ab (Event 5307), and AAD-1 proteins. $1,000 |
| Equipment | Refrigerated cooler for seed storage – 20.0 Cu. Ft Garage Ready Single-Door Refrigerator to store parent line seeds $1,150 |
| Equipment | Seed storage boxes – Gen250 Seed Box – Pro Box, one box can hold seed, equivalent to about 50 bags of 80,000 seed. $800 each X 7 Total $5,600 |
| Outreach | Refreshment and supplies for field days. $180 |
| Outreach | Refreshment and supplies for workshops. $250 |
Texas A&M AgriLife Organic 