AMARILLO, Texas (December 5, 2014) – The Texas Wheat Producers Board (TWPB) selected Stratford Grain Company and Valley Feed Mill as the 2014 Texas Wheat Elevators of the Year.
The awards were presented during the Texas Commodity Symposium’s annual reception held the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 2 in Amarillo, Texas.
Located in Stratford, Texas, Stratford Grain Company was established in 1928 by George Wilson Riffe and continues to be a family-run business. The operation currently has three grain holding facilities, reaching a total storage capacity of more than 7 million bushels. The company’s services include feed sales, seed sales and grain handling, also operating a full-service feed store. An interesting fact about the Riffe’s include purchasing farm land in the late 1960s to produce wheat seed to sell to customers.
Owned by Don Riffe, brother Bill Riffe and Don’s son Andy Riffe, the Riffe family has established Stratford Grain as a staple in the panhandle community. Don and Andy currently manage the operation and both have been active in the feed grain industry formerly serving on the National Grain and Feed Board. After more than 86 years in the grain handling business, Texas Wheat was proud to recognize the efforts of Stratford Grain Company with one of the elevator of the year awards.
Headquartered in Paris, Texas, Valley Feed Mill started in 1953 as a small feed mill and has integrated many facets into the current business today. The operation continues to grow, as additional grain bins are added each year. Since Artis Edzards, a founder of Valley Feed Mill, passed away in 1999, current owner and son David Edzards has quadrupled the business.
The mill continues to be family-owned and operated producing a full line of feed – anything from manufacturing cubes and pellets to producing commodity feeds. Valley Feed Mill also owns several fertilizer plants. Servicing customers from Paris to Nacogdoches, Texas, and into parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas, the mill makes roughly 1,000 tons of feed per week staying busy year-round. For continued exemplary service to the TWPB, Texas Wheat was proud to recognize Valley Feed Mill with one of the elevator of the year awards.
The Texas Wheat Producers Board is a statewide board funded by a voluntary two cent per bushel checkoff program. Checkoff funds are used for research, market development and education to further the wheat industry in Texas and support the profitability of wheat producers. For more information, visit www.texaswheat.org.
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