Plains, Kansas, with a population of about 1,200, is known by Ripley's Believe It or Not for having the widest Main Street in the USA. Today the street, including 12 foot wide sidewalks along the sides, measures 155 feet, 5 inches across, storefront to storefront, nearly a half block wide. When someone asked why they made it so wide, they answered, "There was plenty of no-good ground, so it just as well may be a street."

Well, the Plains, Kansas area also has some good ground. Stan Reiss, a fifth-generation farmer of Southwest Family Farms and other generations before and after him have been living off the land at Kismet, KS, seven miles southwest of Plains for decades.

Stan's great-great grandparents came to the U.S. from Germany, originally farming in Iowa. They made their way to central Kansas and then to Kismet, southwest Kansas in 1914 where they started farming about 320 acres and struggled through the early "Dirty 30s" Dust Bowl days when annual rainfall registered less than 10 inches a year, which it still does occasionally.

The family farm is now run by Stan and his wife Cheri, sons Clint and Brett and their wives, Christina and Sarah, and grandmother Kathryn. During peak planting times they employ an additional four fulltime men and a couple of additional part-timers during harvest. They currently farm in Seward, Morton, and Stanton Counties.

As a family, they farm 7,380 acres of grain crop production in Seward County, just north of the Oklahoma Panhandle, producing corn, soybeans, milo and wheat. Southwest Family Farms tends another 25,000 acres for two other families in a custom-farming business. The family also farms 9,000 acres of ground in Morton and Stanton counties on the Colorado line. Some of this land is owned by Reiss, the rest is rented and/or crop shared from landowners and other farming partnerships.

Southwest Family Farms has a Vision Statement of being a highly-organized, profitable, and respected agricultural business. The family is planning to continue their growth, setting a new goal to manage a total of 50,000 acres in the future.

"We will be the premier agricultural business of choice for landowners, employees, and partners. We will drive growth through innovation," notes their website at southwestff.com

Stan Reiss came to Schweiss Doors after having a bad experience from another door manufacturer who took his downpayment money, but never delivered or gave him his money back. They told Stan after they went back into business that if he were to order new doors in the future they would sell them to him at a reduced rate. He was leery about that offer and stayed away from them altogether.

He is now happy with his 54 ft. x 16 ft. one piece hydraulic Schweiss hangar door which he put on a new 60x60 ft. steel building with 18 ft. sidewalls nearly four years ago. The door is windrated for 90 mph, has electric photo eye sensors and is equipped with an emergency drill-driven backup system and remote opener.

Stan Reiss got a first-hand introduction to Schweiss Doors after talking to owner Mike Schweiss at the Schweiss booth during the Oshkosh airshow in Wisconsin.

"We had a peer group meeting close to that area. I was touring the grounds and saw Mike standing there and talked to him for a little bit. I'd seen Schweiss doors in magazines and other hangars and noticed they were better built doors," said Stan. "We just wanted a one-piece door. I like the simplicity and strength of the Schweiss hydraulic door, it's very strong. I've had zero issues with it, no leaks, it opens every time, it's a very good door and we're happy with it. We wanted the clearance to be able to put farm equipment in the building too. It also provides a nice shaded canopy; we need that out here."

Ron Eakes, owner of Mid-Plains Construction, Inc. in Plains, whose business name has since been changed to JKL Construction, built the 60 ft. x 60 ft steel building and adjoining 36 ft. x 72 ft business office for Reiss. His crew also installed the hydraulic door.

Eakes said the installation went well and noted the door arrived on time and in good condition and easily unloaded from the truck. He had some experience with Schweiss Doors in the past.

"I first worked with a Schweiss bifold cable door on a hangar here in Plains about 20 years ago, my brother also has a Schweiss door. This was our first Schweiss hydraulic door. Originally we were going to go with a different brand door, but that idea went upside down. At that point I told Stan we need to get a Schweiss door and put it on there. The mechanics of the door work very well. It went together well and works fine, I'd recommend them to others," said Eakes.

Stan and his son, Clint, are both pilots and use a 1979 Cessna 182 Skylane to scout their fields.

"It's very beneficial, we irrigate with pivot sprinklers, when I fly over, I can see if any nozzles are plugged and send someone out quickly to clean them. It's been modified, its stall speed is at 31 knots, but when cruising crops we usually fly about 60 to 70 knots. It has a Canard wing on the front of the nose that sticks out a couple of feet on each side. It also has big 29" bush wheels which enable us to land on any field safely," said Stan.

Every drop of moisture is important in Southwest Kansas

Parts of Southwest Kansas are known for being extremely hot and dry and they have been experiencing drought conditions for five consecutive years. Even though Plains, KS is said to average 20 inches of rain and 16 inches of snow annually, Stan said they have been getting about 10 to 15 inches of rain more recently. The average temperature for the year in Plains is 55.4°F., about 77 degrees in May, but it has got as hot as 110 degrees in June. Ordinarily these temperatures and rainfall amounts make for good farming country on the farm's silty-loam soils. Just the same, farmers rely on irrigation systems to survive.

Strip-till is another system of conservation tillage they practice. They use a knife to apply fertilizer and create a seedbed. The knife is engaged into the soil about 10" deep and leaves a 6-8" wide strip of soil. They plant right on top of the strip. The fertilizer zone is located just below the roots for efficient nutrient uptake. The residue from the previous crop remains on top of the soil to protect the soil from erosion. The residue acts as a mulch to keep the soil from drying out and blowing.

At SWFF they "No-till" as much as possible and have invested substantial capital in equipment that aids in conserving crop residue and soil moisture. No-till has proven to be beneficial year after year. One example is a wheat header that strips the very top of the wheat plant off, leaving everything standing in the field except the wheat heads. The tall, standing stubble aids in catching snow in the winter and shades the ground from the hot summer sun.

Sustainable Farming is the name of the game

Agricultural technology has advanced at a very rapid pace and it's technology that drives their farming operation. Clint Reiss, son of Stan Reiss is the Chief Financial Officer of Southwest Family Farms. A lot of his time is spent behind a desk. Brett Reiss is Chief Operating Officer for the farm.

Clint expects the farm will grow as long as it is able to deploy cutting-edge technology and sound production practices, always trying to stay a step ahead in the game. He lead an effort to integrate soil tests with GPS mapping technology using a Veris Technologies soil-type and testing system.

"When we no-till, the only operations that go across the field are spraying, planting, harvesting. We even try to fertilize, spray, and plant in one single pass to reduce fuel consumption and hours on equipment. To limit our fertilizer usage we have mapped all of our irrigated fields to find the different soil types and their capacity to hold nutrients. We layer these maps with yield maps from our combines to make informed agronomic decisions. We have invested in state of the art equipment that allows us to quickly and efficiently cover acre after acre," noted Reiss.

SWFF started with Variable Rate Technology (VRT) 10 years ago. It has allowed them to maximize their land's potential by placing fertilizer and other chemicals where they are needed. Overall fertilizer consumption has been reduced by using this technology.

Southwest Family Farms prides itself as being good stewards of the land. Their commitment is to remain a sustainable farm, using farming practices that will ensure that generations to come will have sufficient high quality food.

For all of your harvesting, fertilizing, planting and custom farming needs Southwest Family Farms can be reached at (620) 563-7212.

JKL Construction, Inc.

JKL Construction, formerly known as Mid Plains Construction of Plains, KS is brainchild of owner, Ron Eakes, and is rated as the most successful construction company in Kansas and has around 70 employees. Since its founding in 1979 it has successfully delivered extensive construction services.

They offer services such as general construction, concrete construction, concrete forming, concrete ready mix sales, curing concrete, concrete install, and advanced concrete construction. to commercial, residential, hog, and dairy clients. Eakes was born in western part of Kansas, which is also called the Sunflower State or Wheat State of the US. He grew up in a farm house along with his 10 siblings.

Eakes also owns three ready mix plants and shares a partnership in two large scale dairies along with running JKL Construction.

JKL Construction is located at East Hwy 54 in Plains, KS. They can be reached by call 620-563-9382 or by emailing Ron Eakes at: ron@midplainsconstruction.net. Visit their website at: jklconstructioninc.net

Photos courtesy of Chase Memories Photography, Jenny Chase - Photographer