Farm Services at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Beaumont primarily serves as support for researchers. The department handles all of the major land preparation: laser precision land leveling, levee preparation (installation and removal), clear fallow maintenance of all research land, and initial ground preparation prior to levee placement ahead of planned research. The department also maintains the center’s underground irrigation system, drainage systems, roads and all the equipment to handle the aforementioned tasks. 
Farm Services also operates the center’s wastewater plant, helps maintain the automated weather station, assists researchers with various projects, and constructs and fabricates specialized equipment as needed by researchers. The department also assists in maintenance projects of the physical plant at the Beaumont center.

The Farm Services Department at Beaumont consists of (left to right) Joe Holden, Agustin Castro, Steve Landry, and Randy Eason.

Farm Service’s largest tractor prepares a research plot for planting. Throughout the year research fallow fields will be maintained for weed purification. This task is accomplished by keeping fields cultivated. All research land is on a three year planting rotation.

Levees are constructed in preparation for research. After the research has been conducted in these areas the levees will be removed and the land will be fallow for a three year rotation.

Farm Services assisting in tractor operations for a research project consisting of application of underground tubing for drip irrigation.

The Beaumont Research Center has several miles of underground irrigation pipeline that provides water to almost all research areas and large plot areas for the production of Foundation seed. Maintaining the system is no small feat!

Farm Services prepares to install new water control gates on the bank of the LNVA canal system. The LNVA provides water for irrigation to the research center. These gates feed into the underground pipeline.

The Beaumont Center receives over 60” of rainfall annually the network of drainage systems that drain the research areas and other parts of the station require much maintenance. Shown is a project to install new drain pipes in one of the research areas.

The Research center is serviced with grass covered roads. These roads allow access to all areas of the center and must be maintained constantly for approximately seven months of the year to prevent overgrowth. Pictured is Joe Holden with a new John Deere tractor that was purchased with assistance from Texas Rice Research Foundation (TRRF) for road maintenance. The tractor pulls a “batwing” mower.

Farm Services maintains all the equipment used for the operations at Beaumont. Pictured is a tractor undergoing clutch replacement.

The Farm Services Department is housed in a nice modern shop with three huge bays that can accommodate the large equipment used in the farming operations. By having this facility, the department is able to operate efficiently.