Story and photos compiled by Rebecca Gresham, Public Affairs Specialist, Lubbock, Texas

Planted in the heart of the Texas High Plains, Farmhouse Vineyards is a perfect example of the passion and resilience of generational farmers. This family-run operation, led by the Seaton and Furgeson families, blends traditional farming with innovative practices to restore their farmland to grazing land while simultaneously running a successful vineyard. 

With the support of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), they are on a journey of sustainable agriculture that is benefiting their land, livestock, and community.

A Legacy of Farming and Innovation

Farmhouse Vineyards is a collaborative effort between a brother and sister and their spouses. Nicholas and Katy Jane Seaton along with Anthony and Traci (Seaton) Furgeson bring eight generations of agricultural expertise to their diverse operation. Nicholas, who has been farming since he was nine years old, and Anthony, who focuses on resource conservation, handling the livestock and crop operations. Katy Jane, with a background in Agriculture Economics and Marketing, and Traci, the "GM and Finance Guru," manage the vineyard, events center, and marketing.
 

“It’s such a rewarding job that you get to work with your family,” Traci says, adding that it’s a bonus to have their kids with them on the farm. “It’s important for them to see everything that goes into being a farmer.”

The family’s journey first began with growing cotton and peanuts, later expanding into grape cultivation in 2010. 

“I eloped with a grape grower because I thought I would get out of the wine business and just be on the viticulture ag side, which is where my heart lies, and farm and just disappear from wine sales forever,” Katy Jane reminisces. “But fate dealt a different hand when a winery client walked in with a contract and they had some grapes and needed to do something with them. And so that began our journey and it’s my job to tell our story.”

She recalls at that time the four partners were still under the umbrella of Anthony’s family’s team. Working together, they decided to break out on their own and started Farmhouse.

“I think anybody who puts a seed in the ground or a plant in the ground and has the optimism that it’s gonna come to fruition is unique in themselves,” says Katy Jane. “I don’t care if you’re doing it in a pot or a raised bed or in your back yard or at a scale of a thousand acres.”

Their vineyard operation now spans 168 acres, producing warm-weather grape varieties suited to the arid climate. The introduction of Dorper sheep in 2020 has further diversified their operation, aiding in grass grazing and enhancing soil health.
 

NRCS Partnership and Sustainable Practices

NRCS District Conservationist Zac Williams has enjoyed collaborating with Farmhouse Vineyards. “It's been neat for me to be able to work with the Ferguson and Seaton families because of their willingness to try new things. They come from a traditional row crop family, so it’s been really interesting for us,” he says.

The collaboration with NRCS has been pivotal in transforming Farmhouse Vineyards, according to Katy Jane, “When you get a partner like Zac in an agency situation, not someone who’s just dotting paper and sending it on down the line, that’s when you feel your business begin to elevate.” 

Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), they have implemented numerous conservation practices, including herbaceous weed treatment, cover cropping, prescribed grazing, conservation crop rotation, and advanced irrigation systems. These initiatives have not only improved the health of their land, but also enhanced the overall ecosystem.

"Irrigation has been a huge concern with the water table decreasing. We've reduced irrigated acres from 240 to 80 and planted grasses in non-irrigated acres," explains Nicholas Seaton. The shift towards sustainable practices has allowed the family to reduce their reliance on chemicals and herbicides, promoting a healthier environment for future generations.
 

Working with the NRCS has also helped from a financial standpoint. The partnership has made it more manageable to get large projects done and implement conservation practices to save more money in the long run. “We’ve been able to benefit from the different resources they provide, with irrigating and just being able to conserve water,” Traci Furgeson says.

Diversification and Resource Management

Farmhouse Vineyards' diverse operation includes cotton, organic peanuts, watermelons, melons, and black-eyed peas. They use cover crops, too, which play a crucial role in preventing wind erosion, attracting beneficial insects, and providing grazing material for their sheep and cattle. 

"Cotton and peanuts are our main row crops," says Anthony Furgeson. "We grow a lot of watermelons too, about 150 to 180 acres."

The operation is diverse on purpose with everything well thought out. Their herd of 5,000 Dorper sheep grazes after watermelon harvests, consuming weeds and vines, and even softened melons. 

“They’ll usually eat all the pig weed. That’s their favorite. They’ll eat the weeds and then they’ll eat the vines. And then once the melons get soft, they’ll eat one hundred percent of them,” Anthony Furgeson says.

“That’s the cool thing about diversification. Using those sheep to clean stuff up that otherwise you’d have to spend money to clean up,” Nicholas Seaton says. He adds that using the sheep to clean the fields also reduces the need for chemical treatments.

A Flourishing Vineyard and Event Center

After the initial vineyard was introduced in 2010, their second vineyard, Whitehouse Parker, went in surrounding their original farmhouse in 2014. A third planting, called Crookshouse, is where they grow counoise, a specialty wine grape. They currently have the largest commercial planting in Texas. The vineyard's event center hosts county award banquets, weddings, and quinceañeras, while their tasting rooms attract wine enthusiasts from near and far.
 

The vineyard operation is thriving, producing around 600 tons of fruit annually, a figure expected to rise with the addition of new acreage. 

“On average, a ton of grapes will produce about 160 gallons of juice. And there’s about 700 to 800 bottles of wine on a ton of grapes,” Anthony Furgeson says. “So, if you average four tons per acre that’d be about 2,800 bottles of wine per acre.”

Not having worked with a vineyard before this one, Williams is learning as much from Farmhouse Vineyards as they are from him. “I always come back with some new knowledge that I didn’t have about grape production that I’m then able to relay or maybe help the next guy down the road who’s trying to start a vineyard with us,” Williams says.

Beyond the Seatons and Furgesons, thirty families are working with them to make the farm a success. “The families that grow across the field seven days a week in all conditions have ownership in the way they touch the vines more, they see them more, and they are just so dedicated and have such pride and that translates from grape to glass,” Katy Jane says. 

Challenges and Future Goals

Water conservation remains a critical challenge here. With the decreasing water tables, Farmhouse Vineyards is focusing on returning more farmland to grass for grazing. "We're working with NRCS to get the farm back to grass through irrigation improvement and grass planting," Nicholas Seaton explains.

Of the generational farm families that make up Terry County and surrounding south plains, Katy Jane Seaton says, “You will not find finer people with more perseverance than the ones here. And they’re up against every plague in the Bible. Not just one. Most growing regions have one or two challenges. Here, we have them all and we’re still turning out premium fruit.” 

Their efforts are paying off beyond their crops. The land is transforming into a vibrant habitat for wildlife, with diverse grass colors and varieties along the playas where their sheep graze. 

Williams underscores the importance of adaptable and innovative practices being undertaken at Farmhouse Vineyards. "It's not just about the water table dropping, it's about finding sustainable solutions that work for the long term. We’re doing native range plantings on several hundred acres right now and that’s gonna help facilitate their sheep grazing as well. It’s also gonna help their water situation,” he says. 

A Vision for the Future

The Seaton and Furgeson families are committed to sustainable farming, preserving their land for future generations. "It's important to take care of our land," says Anthony Furgeson who is determined to make every acre count. "It’s gonna be a couple years down the road, but when that all comes into fruition, it’s going to save money, save time, and give us more options for our overall farm.”

It's important to the families that others recognize the importance of conservation in agriculture, as well as the importance of the people on the ground who make it happen.

“We want everyone to know where their food and fiber come from and it’s really important for us to be able to showcase through this bottle of wine how important agriculture is to this area,” Traci Furgeson says.

The Seaton and Furgeson families understand that in a world where agriculture faces numerous challenges, proactive choices are key to securing its future. "We both come from farming families and our dads were great farmers," Nicholas Seaton offers. “You’ve gotta take what they did really well, learn from it, but you’ve gotta adjust and adapt and expand.”

“Taking care of the land that our parents and grandparents taught us how to take care of is very important to us,” Traci Furgeson says. “And I want our kids to know and people around the world to know that whatever agriculture product—if it’s what they’re eating, drinking, wearing—there is a family behind it.”