In the late 1940s, Texas wheat farmers grappling with drought, government quotas and uncertain markets began meeting in dusty hotel rooms and local cafes to build a collective voice. What began as conversations among concerned farmers in the Texas Panhandle grew into organized advocacy efforts under various names like the Tri-District Farm Bureau Association and the High Plains Wheat Producers Association of Texas. In 1950, their vision became a reality when the Texas Wheat Producers Association (TWPA) was officially chartered by the state of Texas.
The goal was simple but powerful: give wheat farmers a unified voice in the decisions that shape their future. Seventy-five years later, that mission endures.
“When I joined the board, I was introduced to an elite level of thinkers,” said Ben Scholz, a farmer from Lavon and TWPA director since 1985. “Here I was around a group of guys who tried to create solutions, and that’s what I try to do today.”
Originally formed with a handful of representatives from counties in the Panhandle, today the association has grown into a statewide organization representing wheat producers in every growing region. The association, in conjunction with the Texas Wheat Producers Board, helps guide producer-funded programs that support research, education, market development and advocacy.
But at its core, the association has always been about the people – farmers advocating for farmers.
In 1951, just a year after incorporation, leaders from the association made their first trip to Washington, D.C., urging action during a devastating drought that halved wheat production. It set the tone for decades of advocacy: boots on the ground, voices at the table.
Over the decades, the association has championed critical policies to advance wheat farming, beginning with the Agricultural Act of 1961 and Texas Proposition 3 in 1983, which empowered farmers to directly invest in research and market development. From its early focus on addressing excess supply and expanding international trade through trade agreements like NAFTA, the group quickly became a leader in shaping both state and national wheat agendas. In keeping with their long-standing commitment to industry leadership, several Texas growers have held prominent national roles including Ken Kendrick of Stratford, who became the first elected Secretary of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG).
Just as it was in 1950, the heartbeat of the association is the group of farmer volunteers who selflessly take time away from their own operations to represent the collective voice of growers across Texas. They carry on a legacy built on participation, vision and a belief in real solutions. Whether the issue is parity prices in 1950 or trade actions in 2025, the strength of the association has always been in the willingness of farmers to show up and lead. The story of Texas wheat is still being written, and thanks to the association, it will be a story shaped by those who grow it.
This article was originally published in the May 2025 Producers News edition published in High Plains Journal. To see the full issue, visit the publications page.