Melasky Family named Farm Family of the Year

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples greets, from left, Eddie, Doris, Steve and Stan Melasky at the eighth annual Nacogdoches County Agriculture Appreciation and Awareness Banquet Monday night at the Fredonia. More than 300 supporters of agribusiness and education honored the Melaskys as Farm Family of the Year. Other awardees included Agriculture Educator of the Year John Boyette, Agribusiness of the Year Nacogdoches Livestock Exchange, Inc., and Agriculture Pioneer Tim Chauvin. (Photo by Bruce R. Partain)

The Eddie Melasky family will be honored as the Farm Family of the Year at the Eighth Annual Nacogdoches County Agriculture Appreciation and Awareness Banquet on Monday, April 6 at the Fredonia.
The Melasky family history in Nacogdoches County began in 1968, after they moved from Brazos County. The Melaskys continued doing what they knew best, operating a dairy, which is second nature to the family. According to Eddie Melasky, when the family settled here more than 86 dairymen were in the county. They felt right at home in Nacogdoches County.
When asked what brought them to the county Doris Melasky said, “East Texas was the best place in Texas to raise a family and to continue being in agriculture and to grow with the other agriculture industries that were here.”
Mr. Melasky said that the timber and poultry industries are key in their farming program. The family milks some 200 head of cattle each day and feeds some 400 head. The dairy, timber and cattle operations go hand in hand. The timber industry provides some relief from time to time with input cost being high for year to year operations, whether it is from opening new pasture land for cattle to graze or to provide benefits for wildlife that can be helpful for recreation. Mr. Melasky said, “The recreation aids in rejuvenating you after a long day of work on the farm.”
Another relief for the Malasky family is the poultry farm that was added in 1985. Poultry provides some much needed fertility requirements for producing adequate forages in the pastures for grazing and for cutting hay, as well as a supplemental income that will help for other unforeseen expenses.
The Melaskys’ two sons, Stan and Steve, make big contributions in the entire farming operation. They showed in the Piney Woods Fair throughout school and continue to help their parents increase the family farm which is now more than 1300 acres, and added another agriculture aspect with beef cattle.
The Melaskys are also past recipients of the Farm Family for the State of Texas, which was received for the Farmers Home Administration in 1976. Mrs. Melasky was quoted, “Dairying is kind of like a life-long commitment. When you have to purchase land, cattle, and equipment, it’s something you just don’t get in and out of. Everything we have acquired has come from the dairy. Life is short. If you like what you are doing, you don’t have to work a day in your life.”