by George Burlage
Baily Redfearn looked at the weight receipts from the Choice Peanut Co. in Aubrey, smiled and said, "I might as well lay it on as they won’t believe me anyway."

The longtime peanut grower was talking about his yield. By the end of last week he had harvested 28 acres of peanuts, and the yield was running exceptionally high.

"This lat plot averaged out at 58 bushels an acre," he said, waving the receipts as proof. "There are a few bad spots in the fields, but I should get an average of 40 bushels."

Redfearn had seen a peanut crop in the sandy Cross Roads community ever since he could remember. This year he is raising 123 of his 136-acre allotment. Another 26 ˝ acres are being farmed in peanuts by his son, Billy.

RECOGNITION
His contributions to one of Denton County’s most profitable crops has earned him recognition as the Denton Record-Chronicle’s "Farmer of the Month." This award is given by the Record-Chronicle and the Denton Chamber of Commerce to Denton County farmers who contribute to local agriculture.

Redfearn was raised on part of the land he is now farming. He commented the land was more fertile and productive now than it was several years ago when he bought it.

"I never fertilize peanuts," he added, "but I build the land with vetch and rye. I fertilize the cover crop with 125 pounds of 0-46-0, graze it once and then let it grow for plowing under."

All his peanut crop land is plowed at least eight inches deep.

ROTATION
Rotation is sometimes used on the total of 554 acres in the farm. However, land management depends more on cover crops because of the choice acres set aside for peanut raising.

To add to the efficiency of harvest, Redfearn has the latest equipment. His new digger-shaker and combine are of the newest design – a long way from the windrow and pitchfork methods of a few years ago.

PEANUT HAY
After combining the peanuts, Redfearn bales the vines for hay. "My cattle always prefer peanut hay in the winter." He commented.

On the first plots harvested, he averaged a little more than a ton of hay an acre. His peanut harvest in the pat years has averaged at 30 bushels compared to Texas A&M figures of less than 20 bushel average for Denton County.

In addition to the peanuts, Redfearn runs about 100 head of cattle on his land, plus a few quarterhorses. Eighty acres have been sprigged to Coastal Bermuda and there are plans for many more acres in the future.

"It is the greatest grass there is," he commented. "But you have to stir it and fertilize on this poor land – I use a 10-20-10 fertilizer."

In addition to his son, Billy, Redfearn, gets a lot of help on the farm from his teenage son, Sammy. Sammy owns four of the quarterhorses in the Refearn’s stables.

COTTON ELIMINATED
Although peanut farming is not new to Redfearn, he has eliminated on of his principal crops. That is cotton which he grew for a number of years. He sees a more profitable farm of peanuts, good Coastal and livestock. Some terraces and stock ponds were built under the supervision of the Soil Conservation Service.

Redfearn is proud of his accomplishment in building his soil into producing one of the top peanut yields in the county. "I knew the land was poor when I bought it – but it was poorer than I thought – and I had to build it up."