Kenneth Watkins IV is a sixth-generation farmer and rancher from Linden, California. His family has a rich agricultural tradition, currently growing walnuts, almonds, cherries, peaches, and hay, while also raising commercial beef cattle in California. From a young age, Kenneth was actively involved in showing cattle and sheep, and participated in livestock judging through both 4-H and FFA.
Kenneth pursued higher education at Oklahoma State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness, focusing on Farm and Ranch Management. During his college years, he gained practical experience through an internship with the Noble Research Institute in Ardmore, Oklahoma. There, he contributed to projects involving pecan research, farm budgeting, and grazing management. Following graduation, Kenneth began his professional career at Seaboard Foods in the Texas panhandle, working as a feed mill management trainee.
Seeking new opportunities, Kenneth relocated to southern Oklahoma to join Raptor Ag. In this role, he was responsible for planting and managing 150,000 pecan trees, and also assisted with hazelnut harvest operations in Oregon. His commitment to advancing his expertise led him to enroll in the Pecan Management Class at Oklahoma State University’s Cimarron Valley Research Station. This led to perusing a position at the research station.
Presently, Kenneth serves as superintendent of the 640-acre research farm. The farm features a diverse array of crops, including pecans, grapes, hops, wheat, oats, alfalfa, cotton, corn, soybeans, vegetables, hay, and beef cattle. Kenneth is an active member of the Oklahoma Pecan Growers Association Board and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and is a member of the 22nd class of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program. In addition to his professional responsibilities, he works and resides on a bison ranch in north central Oklahoma.
Throughout his life, Kenneth has remained deeply immersed in the agricultural industry. His passion and commitment to farming and ranching reflect a legacy that he is proud to continue, and he would not have it any other way.