TPPB Directors
Scotty Koonce
DeLeon, Texas
Scotty Koonce is no stranger to the agricultural industry. He farms 2,500 acres of land just north of DeLeon, Texas. He grows 150 acres of peanuts, 400-500 acres of hay and is going to try a new crop this year, cotton. Along with these crop commodities, Koonce also raises cattle.
“I have been farming since 1970, which is right after I went to college,” Koonce says.
Koonce is a third-generation farmer who has lived in DeLeon all of his life. His grandfather settled in the DeLeon area in the 1880’s. He has grown up around farming and it is a big part of his life.
“Once I was in college for awhile, I realized that farming seemed like a good option for me,” Koonce describes, “it is what I have been doing all of my life.”
Being on the TPPB board is very important to Koonce. He explains that there is always a new face to meet and new information to learn.
“You really learn a lot being on the board. You learn about other people’s farming and the industry as a whole,” Koonce said, “I really enjoy meeting the other farmers and seeing how they do things. The board is good for all the farmers as a whole because it helps everyone keep up with current events in the industry.”
Koonce says that the board has goals of continuing to make peanut farming profitable and make it easier on the farmers. He also adds that the board opens doors for new varieties of products through research and promotion.
Government programs is a major issue that Koonce believes is important.
“As farmers, we basically have to plan our yearly farm operations around a lot of what the government mandates,” Koonce explained.
While Koonce is a TPPB member, he is also on the Upper Leon Soil and Water Conservation Board. He has been on this board for about a year.
Both peanut farming and being on the board are large portions of Koonce’s life, but he also says that family is an even bigger part of his life. Koonce has been married to his wife Pat for 31 years and has four children: Amy, who is a school teacher in Hico; Ashley, who is doing her residency at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and twin boys, Austin and Aaron, who are seniors in high school.
