The Mortons
Starting with 776 acres he rented from his grandmother in the early nineties, Donald and his son Cole now farm around 3,000 acres of corn, rice, and soybeans in Prairie County, Arkansas.
Not many people can say they were the president of a company at 18-years-old, but Kelli can.
Kelli Morton, along with her husband Donald, co-owned Des Arc based Bell’s Ag Service–a flying service that at one time operated 12 different airplanes expanding to seven operations– was tapped as president at just 18-years-old. After many years in the agricultural aviation industry, they finally decided on their 40th year, this past year, she was “ready to just be a farmer’s wife.” That farmer is none other than Riceland board member Donald Morton.
Donald is a third-generation farmer who never questioned what he wanted to be when he grew up.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to go to the farm with my dad,” Morton said. “It was just born and bred into me.”
Starting with 776 acres he rented from his grandmother in the early nineties, Donald and his son Cole now farm around 3,000 acres of corn, rice, and soybeans in Prairie County, Arkansas. When asked what makes him want to keep farming day in and day out given the ever-changing agriculture industry, the answer was simple.
"It's just a family thing,” Morton said.
After Cole’s graduation, Donald told him he could always come back to the farm, but he advised him to explore all his options. Six years later, Cole told his Dad he wanted to come back and go to work on the farm, and they’ve been working together ever since. In addition to Cole, Donald and Kelli also have a daughter, Caroline. Caroline is vital to the operation as she helps her mom with the financial side of the business and always lends a helping hand to the guys when needed.
Farming isn’t glamorous. “There’s good years and bad years, ” Morton said. “As long as you’re willing to progress with it, you can stay in it.”
That’s where Cole’s expertise comes in. There’s new technology wherever you look - from GPS systems, field mapping equipment, and levee surveying to name a few. Donald jokingly admitted at one time he didn’t believe in autosteer, but now he recognizes how much easier life is with it and how things have progressed.
With the advancements in technology comes bigger price tags. That, paired with rising input costs and less than optimal weather conditions, makes the decision to keep farming not so easy. For the Mortons, it’s the connection to family and farming together as a family that keeps them working year after year. But if you ask Kelli,
“That’s what it's all about,” Kelli said. “We’re blessed to have family involved.”
The operation doesn’t stop with fourth-generation farmer Cole Morton. There are four grandchildren in the mix already running the show–Abby, Anna, Samuel, and Madeline. In order to keep the farm for them to enjoy one day, sustainability is at the forefront of the Mortons’ minds. Sustainability is an important topic to Donald. To have a hand in feeding the world and providing consumers with a safe product means a lot to him.
“We’re trying to protect the land, and we want to try to preserve it for the next generations,” he said. “That's why we try to do everything the right way. We don't want to tarnish it, and we take pride in that.”
Donald has served on Riceland’s Board of Directors for the past 16 years and describes it as the “biggest, most-eye opening experience” he’s ever had. His goal for the cooperative is to educate the younger generation of agriculturists on the value of the cooperative and to remind them everything the cooperative does is for the members.
