TPPB Directors
Clifton Stacy
Pearsall, Texas
Clifton Stacy and his wife Sally, of 50 years, farm peanuts in Pearsall, Texas. The farm is 400 total acres. Crops grown on the farm include: peanuts; potatoes; grain sorghum; green beans and wheat. Stacy says he also maintains a herd of cattle on his farm.
His father moved to Frio County in 1939 to start his peanut farm and Stacy has kept the legacy alive for 49 years. While Stacy is retired from the farming business, he leases his farm out to another farmer who maintains the commodities.
Stacy has grown up around agriculture and he has learned how important it is to preserve his way of life. Knowing that he wanted a college education, Stacy received his Bachelor of Science from Texas College of Arts & Industries, which is now known as Texas A&M University-Kingsville, in 1960.
“I guess it’s was the only thing I’ve ever known. The whole basis of it all is agriculture,” Stacy says.
He is an active member in the TPPB, serving on it for close to 26 years. Stacy is also on the Farm Bureau board for Frio County, a member of the United Methodist Church and on the board of directors for the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District, serving on this board for 25 years.
Throughout all of his experience Stacy has realized that the peanut growers have to stay together as one team to keep the industry alive.
“My main goal has been to hold the peanut industry together in Texas. It was badly split in the 70’s and early 80’s,” Stacy describes, “TPPB was able to get the Texas growers to realize that we have to stay united or we will go away.”
When asked what the greatest challenges are in the agricultural industry, Stacy explains that the main challenge is the ability to make a profit. He sees that it’s difficult for young producers to get in the business and stay in the business.
“Profit margins are too thin to start new as a farmer. We have to be efficient and timely to preserve our farms for future generations.”
As the world population continues to grow dramatically, Stacy sees producing the sufficient amount of commodities for consumers to be a looming problem. He goes on to add that in the near future farmers will have a hard time producing more food at a quicker pace.
He and his wife have three children: Clifton Jr.; Tracy Howard and Amanda Neelley.
Stacy continues to represent the peanut industry from Pearsall, which has been his home all of his life.
“I probably have more time at one telephone and one address than anyone else around. Wayne Eaves, who was involved with the peanut producers board at one time, once told me, “I’ve never known someone who’s had the same address and telephone for that long.”
