Mike Thompson awarded the Conservation Farmer of the Year

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  • 2022 CONSERVATION FARMER OF THE YEAR -- Larry Hobratschk (right) of The Lamb County Soil and Water Conservation District and Jack Foote (left), Field Representative for Area One, presented Mike Thompson with the 2022 Lamb County Conservation Farmer of the year award. Mike started farming in 2017 incorporating Soil Health principles into his farming operation. Mike is a fifth generation farmer. Four of the generations have farmed in Lamb County. (Submitted Photo)
    2022 CONSERVATION FARMER OF THE YEAR -- Larry Hobratschk (right) of The Lamb County Soil and Water Conservation District and Jack Foote (left), Field Representative for Area One, presented Mike Thompson with the 2022 Lamb County Conservation Farmer of the year award. Mike started farming in 2017 incorporating Soil Health principles into his farming operation. Mike is a fifth generation farmer. Four of the generations have farmed in Lamb County. (Submitted Photo)
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Lamb County Soil and Water Conservation District presented its Farmer of the Year award on June 6, 2022, to Mike Thompson of Littlefield.

Thompson said it is an honor for him to win the award of Farmer of the Year.

A fifth generation farmer, Thompson started farming in 2017, incorporating soil health principles into his farming techniques. The principles include minimizing soil disturbance, soil armor, continual live/plant root, plant diversity, and integrating live stock.

Thompson said he believes soil health is important, because it helps maintain sustainability and resiliency with his crops.

Thompson said he did not always want to be a farmer. He said after he graduated from Texas Tech University, he moved to Dallas with his wife. They had kids and eventually moved back to Littlefield to help farm some of his dad, Roy Thompson’s, land.

Thompson grows cotton, corn, sunflowers and wheat in his fields. He currently has cotton, corn and sunflowers growing, but he plans to uproot the corn to plant more cotton.

Thompson farms at least 1,000 acres of land across “six or seven” farms all throughout Lamb County. He also owns his own farm and rents several others.