Released: March 01, 2002

Wallace Couple Named Master Farmer, Homemaker

WALLACE, Kan. – By the time Dennis Collins was old enough to set irrigation tubes, he was spending time in the fields of Wallace County. By the time his future wife, Darletta, was in high school, she had completed her first farming experience by hoeing beets. Marriage of the two lifestyles resulted in an unexpected combination of success.

"I grew up in Sharon Springs without any farming experience," Darletta said. "I learned a lot that first summer I got married. It was really different."

On March 22, the Collins’ will be recognized as a Kansas Master Farmer and Master Farm Homemaker during ceremonies at the Holiday Inn in Manhattan. Friends can make reservations by calling 785-532-5820 by March 8. Tickets, including dinner, cost $20. The banquet begins at 6 p.m.

The Master Farmer-Farm Homemaker program, which recognizes six Kansas families every years, is co-sponsored by Kansas State University Research and Extension and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Nominated by the Extension Council in Wallace County, the Collins will become lifetime members in an association that dates to 1927.

After leasing their first farm for four years, Dennis’s father died in 1975. Dennis formed a partnership with his brother, Jerry, to farm their father’s land, which had been farmed by another family since the 1950s. They added a ranch in 1977. In 1987, Dennis bought Jerry’s share of the operation and Darletta became the "secondary help."

"Even though she grew up a town girl, you can’t call her that any more," Dennis said. "She spends just as many hours with the operation as I do and probably more."

The Collins farm more than 1,400 acres of dryland and 350 acres of irrigated crop land. Although more than 4,800 of the total acres are rented, the Collins strive to maintain high standards of management.

"Keeping the land to its full potential has always been our goal, whether farming or ranching," Darletta said. "We treat our rented grass and farm ground like it was our own."

The Collins’ operation spans from more than 600 acres of wheat, 200 acres of sunflowers and 250 acres of irrigated corn.

"My wife and I take care of it all," Dennis said. "We enjoy calving season and harvest, because we see what we’ve grown. It’s always good to see the changes."

Darletta said she treasures the role of farming and ranching, not only as a profession, but also as a way of life.

"It’s peaceful to run a tractor," Darletta said. "Agriculture is never routine and that keeps you going. I enjoy seeing little calves grow and crops mature."

Updates in technology and management practices have cut the number of those involved in production.

"The biggest change shows how much two people can do on their own with larger equiptment," Dennis said. "We take care of as much ground and cattle as four or five family farms did in the past. The machinery helps since we’re able to haul corn, for example, and still have time to do something else."

The cattle herd has been a part of the Collins’ lifestyle since 1971. With more than 3,800 acres of pasture, they support a 275 paired cow/calf operation.

"I’m lucky to do exactly what I have always wanted to," Dennis said. "Getting up to check cattle in the middle of the night wasn’t as easy as I thought when I was younger. There is not a cow on the place who hasn’t carried our tag since they hit the ground. We’re pretty proud of that fact."

To protect the herd from harsh weather, the Collins have planted more than 800 trees to add to the existing shelter belts surrounding the machinery sheds and corrals.

"The windbreaks help with death loss of cattle," he said. " I like to have a place for the cattle out of the wind."

The Collins raised two children: Angela, director for Rotary Daycare, and David, a technician for Time Warner/AOL.

"It was great to let our kids do a lot of things with three-wheelers, ice skating, sledding and rodeo," Darletta said. "They learned what it is to work and have fun."

"Many people have no concept of what it takes to grow a bushel of corn or finish a steer," Dennis said. "They have no idea of what it takes to put a good product out there."

Once the product reaches the marketplace, Dennis said it does not generate enough profit to cover the high costs of the production.

"It’s hard to know when to market grains and livestock," he said. "You always want to hit high, or find some sort of middle, to make a living at it. It’s a challenge to make money."

Regardless of the challenges, Dennis and Darletta have found satisfaction with their farming experience.

"I hope everyone enjoys doing this as much as I do every day," he said. "I’ve always been able to do what I wanted."

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Lucas Shivers, Communications Assistant
lshivers@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News