NAF News

PAHRUMP AND COTTON

Maxwell Kent "Tim" Hafen looked across the land upon which he intended making a living. The year was 1951. He was 19 years old and admitted he knew little if anything about the product he wished to produce. Although he had been there before, Pahrump Valley, Nevada was really new to him. Not nearly as unfamiliar, however, as the task of growing cotton and that was what he wanted to do. Agriculture Tim knew, so he wasn't a complete novice. He had grown up on his father's dairy and alfalfa farm near Mesquite. In fact, the Hafen family milked 700 head of dairy cattle - milked them every morning and every afternoon for 365 days a year - year in and year out. Tim just wasn't sure he wanted to wind up in the dairy business. If anything on this earth ties you down it is dairying.

It was at that point that Hafen became one of the pioneer cotton growers in Pahrump, the only place in Nevada the crop has been successfully grown commercially. Now, after more than a half century living in Pahrump Valley, a good part of it as a cotton grower, Tim recalls, "yes, cotton was good to us."

According to Robert McCraken's "History of Pahrump" cotton was first tried there in 1936 but the experiment proved unsuccessful. It wasn't until a number of years later, 1948 just three years before Hafen arrived, that cotton was tried again as a major crop. This time the results were promising. Leon Hughes, whose father John had conducted the 1936 cotton growing effort in the valley, always believed that conditions in Pahrump were right for cotton even though his father's efforts fell short. In 1948, he returned to Pahrump, leased 120 acres of ground and demonstrated that cotton could be profitably grown. Based on his success most of the larger ranches, which had been alfalfa and livestock producers, got into the cotton business.

Tim's father, Maxwell had fared well in his dairy operation and was looking to expand. He became familiar with Pahrump Valley as a member of the Las Vegas Office of the BLM's Grazing Advisory Board. He thought there was potential there and was able to purchase 840 acres from Elmer Bowman, owner of one of the valley's major ranches. It was on these acres that Tim and and his bride, Jackie, embarked on the new adventure. The Hafens first lived in an old 25 foot trailer with no indoor plumbing and not much insulation either. It was a frontier existance. However, since then the Hafen's housing has vastly improved.

"I was entering uncharted waters for me," Hafen said, " with little knowledge or experience with cotton. But I had help from other growers and, you know, you learn." In 1963, Tim purchased 650 additional acres and wound up with several hundred acres in cotton. Early on in the Pahrump cotton experiece there was no gin in the area. Consequently, the cotton had to be shipped to California. This presented problems. The normal trailers used for transporting the harvested cotton to the gin, usually a short haul, could not remotely carry the amount needed to pay for the long haul. A new means had to be found. The Pahrump growers, Hafen included, then hit upon an idea to use a regular hay baler to bale the harvested product. They then could ship it like hay. It was initially thought the baling might harm the cotton but this didn't happen, in fact, some said it improved it. Pahrump cotton proved to be a high quality product, often bringing premium prices. The Pahrump Valley cotton growers did well. A cotton gin was built in Pahrump in 1959 which made producing the crop even more profitable.

During this period, 1950's to mid '70's, cotton reigned as king in Pahrump but by 1980, the growing of the crop in the valley was all but over Two reason. are cited for this. One is that the price of cotton did not keep pace with production costs in the valley and, secondly,when one of the major cotton growing ranches went out of business there was no longer enough cotton to allow the gin to remain operational. As the cotton saga played out, too, there were other things happening in the valley. Beginning in the mid to late 1960's, Pahrump was attracting people who saw it as a desirable place to live with moderate winter temperatures, plenty of sunshine and plenty of space. Among these persons were those living and working in Las Vegas who wished to escape the city's rapid growth with its subsequent problems including traffic and the rest. They wanted some place where they could have a little land in a rural setting. Many felt Pahrump fit the bill even though it was a commute of almost 60 miles one way. Pahrump was becoming a Las Vegas bedroom community. Another segment of the population finding the area attractive were older, retired persons. What happened was that Pahrump went from a town of around 300 persons in 1950 to nearly 10,000 in the early 1990's. While this was occurring, the old ranches were being subdivided for housing developments, golf courses, and shopping malls. Real Estate transactions were the new way in the valley.

Tim Hafen, even though immersed in cotton production, always took great interest in the general welfare of Nevada agriculture, his community and area. Public service became a part of his existance. He served as a member of the Advisory Planning Board to Pahrump, and Board member and later Chairman of Valley Electrical Association. Relative to agriculture he was a member and past chairman of the Nevada State Board of Agricultural for the State Department of Agriculture, a former President of the Nevada Farm Bureau, former member of the Nevada State Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service board, and of the Advisory Council to the Las Vegas BLM District.

In 1966, Tim was elected as an assemblyman in the Nevada State Legislature, serving until 1974. While in the legislature, he served as a speaker Pro Tem and a member of Ways and Means, Commerce, Taxation, Labor and Interim Finance Committees. He also was a capable advocate for agriculture in his area and in Nevada generally, at a time when agricultural influence was waning with the large population growth in urban Las Vegas and Reno. Such support was needed.

The Nevada Agricultural Foundation (NAF) particularly recalls Hafen's work in support of the University of Nevada's College of Agriculture. He was a longtime member during the 1960's and early '70's of the Citizens Advisory Board to the College. In this role he provided a voice for Southern Nevada agriculture informing the college of research and other needs of that region. Dr. Dale W. Bohmont in his book, "The Golden Years Of Agriculture in Nevada" said, "an energetic group led by Tim Hafen, Robert Ruud, Hollis Harris --" encouraged the College to establish an experiment station in Pahrump. Bohmont, at the time, was Dean and Director of the UNR Ag College. The initial effort in 1966 was to lease 20 acres from Pahrump rancher Larry Boling on which to do locally needed ag. experiments relative to crops, irrigation and other problems. Later in 1980, the Holly Park Field Laboratory was established on land donated to the University and a building was constructed for research and Cooperative Extension Service activities which expanded the University's presence there.

It was such efforts and others that earned Hafen the 1969, "Distinguished Service to Nevada Agriculture Award" presented by the UNR Ag. College. With this recognition, Hafen joined with a number of leading agriculturist in Nevada so honored.

Since those earlier days, Hafen has become a Pahrump business leader in real estate sales and development. He is owner-operator of Tim Hafen Ranches. Inc.; is a general contractor in the area; owner operator of Pahrump Utility Company, operating a water and sewage disposal system for two subdivision in the valley; and owner and President of the Cottonwoods and Artesia at Hafen Ranch residential subdivisions.

Its not likely now that Tim Hafen regrets taking that challenge back in 1951 to grow cotton when it seemed he was so ill prepared to do so. He cultivated a unique crop for Nevada, one grown no where else in the State. The endeavor has not only benefitted him and his family but has helped his community and his State.

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Maxwell Kent (Tim) Hafen, Pahrump businessman, former state Legislator, agricultural leader and once a Pahrump cotton grower