How a chance meeting helped Texas become the nationโs top beekeeping state
Twelve years after a state law gave tax breaks for keeping bees on at least five acres, people are still getting into the trade โ or throwing in the towel and hiring professionals to do it for them.
Ted Cruz and Ronny Jackson push legislation to help ranchers who lost livestock in Panhandle wildfires
The Republican senator and congressman introduced a bill that would expand a federal aid program to pay ranchers when pregnant cattle are killed in disasters.
Gardopia Gardens, Big Green partner for sustainable food event in San Antonio
Big Green, a nonprofit that encourages Americans to grow their food, is partnering with Gardopia Gardens for a sustainable agriculture event.
Cows at two Texas dairy farms have bird flu, another blow to Cattle Country following wildfires
Federal officials said the nationโs milk supply should be not at risk after a bird flu outbreak hits dairies in Texas, New Mexico and Kansas.
โIt does not get easierโ: Texas ranchers lose cattle and land in historic wildfires
As ranchers recover from the Smokehouse Creek fire, they face the agonizing choice of what to do with an unknown number of injured cattle.
Wildfires ravage cattle country, threatening Texasโ agriculture economy
Texas wildfires have consumed acres of agricultural land, killing thousands of livestock, destroying crops and exacerbating challenges lingering from last yearโs drought.
Once a laborer, this immigrant now owns his farm. He and his daughter are among few Hispanic farmers in Texas.
According to the most recent census, Texas has fewer than 26,000 Hispanic farmers compared to 236,000 white farmers.
Do Texans have the โright to farm?โ Voters will decide with Proposition 1.
Supporters of the amendment say it will protect farmers as the stateโs largest cities continue to grow. Opponents suggest the amendment is too broad and ambiguous.
Author Dan Egan talks with The Texas Tribune about phosphorus overuse and toxic algae blooms
Egan sat down with Tribune environmental reporter Alejandra Martinez to talk about his new book, โThe Devilโs Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance,โ which explains how overuse of phosphorus is impacting the environment.
Sheep graze on Texas solar farms as renewable energy companies embrace agriculture
The practice of using land for both agriculture and solar power generation, known as agrivoltaics, is becoming increasingly common in Texas and nationwide.
A generation of Texas farmers are retiring. Itโs not clear who will replace them.
After 70 years on the farm, Jimmy Drake retired from the cotton business. With no family stepping up to take over the farm, he turned to a young neighbor.
Delayed passage of farm bill stirs uncertainty for Texas agriculture
The must-pass package of legislation known as the farm bill, which is renewed every five years, funds critical crop insurance and loans to farmers and food to low-income families.
Hay prices rising, supply limited amid drought and extreme weather
The drought and triple-digit heat have hit many ranchers hard this summer. The cost of hay bales continues to soar, and the lack of production is leaving suppliers and livestock owners scrambling for options.
High Plains farmers are experimenting with novel techniques to protect Texasโ future soil
A minority of farmers in the Texas High Plains region are looking to organic and regenerative techniques to keep their soil healthy year round, despite a dry climate.
โSeasons donโt matterโ: How hydroponic farmers are cultivating crops Texas normally wouldnโt see in the summer
Hydroponic farming is a type of farming that doesn't use soil. It's said to be more sustainable, using less soil and pesticides.
Texas agriculture commissioner orders employees to wear clothes โconsistent with their biological genderโ
The policy comes as LGBTQ advocates are fighting a wave of hostile legislation at the Capitol, including proposals to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender children.
Burbank High School partners with Palo Alto College to give students deeper understanding of agriculture
Burbank High Schoolโs agriculture program is expanding and has partnered with a local San Antonio college to give students a closer look into the industry.
Farmers face a higher risk of suicide. The Texas Agriculture Department wants $500,000 a year to change that.
The departmentโs helpline is less than a year old. But advocates hope state lawmakers fully fund it as farmers and ranchers continue to face hard economic times and isolation.
Texas ag agency says climate change threatens stateโs food supply
A new Texas Department of Agriculture report also points to other factors that are making it harder for Texans to access and afford food, including wages falling behind rising costs of living.
Watch: Panhandle cotton farmers, rural economies struggle under โexceptionalโ drought conditions
โA year like this, where everything is disaster, is just, Iโd say, devastating,โ cotton farmer Steven Walker said.
Both have deep Texas roots, but Sid Miller and Susan Hays offer stark contrast in fight for ag commissioner
The stateโs agriculture commissioner oversees a vast portfolio including farming and ranching, rural health care and the scales you use at grocery store checkout.
How important is farming still to the U.S.? These facts and figures might surprise you
Farming might not be a glamorous job for many, but simply put, we might not exist without the hardworking farm owners and laborers out there.
Company turns shipping containers into vertical hydroponic farms
A company based in a Denver suburb turns up-cycled shipping containers into vertical hydroponic farms.. and claims the containers can create as much as two football fields worth of traditional agriculture.
To save water in Texas, these nonprofits are paying farmers to leave it in reservoirs
As Texas continues to battle drought, groups are trying a market-based solution to help farmers and protect what little water is left.
Hemp was supposed to save Texas farmers during a drought. It hasnโt yet.
Hemp advocates promised the Texas Legislature the crop was drought resistant. The 2022 drought has proven otherwise. And farmers are abandoning the nascent market.
Texasโ cotton industry is facing its worst harvest in years โ costing the state more than $2 billion
Cotton is Texasโ largest crop, and industry experts say they expect just half the normal annual yield โ which will drive up costs for consumers.
Old South Side charro ranch undergoing makeover to support local agricultural organizations
An old South Side rodeo venue is getting new life as the San Antonio Stockyards Historical Society (SASHS) renovates the ranch that once hosted the Charros Del Chaparral Charreada.
Decades after Texas took part of its historic farm, a family fights again to save its land from a highway expansion
Daniel Alexander was enslaved when he founded a farm before the Civil War. 175 years later, his family is fighting to keep it intact as Texas plans to expand U.S. Highway 183.
โRareโ pest that causes agricultural, economic damage intercepted at South Texas border
Agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a โrareโ and damaging pest at the South Texas border earlier this month โ the first time the bug has ever been spotted in the U.S.
Sid Miller wins Republican primary for Texas agriculture commissioner
The incumbent avoided a runoff. State Rep. James White had tried to unseat Miller with criticisms centered on controversies under Millerโs leadership.
What is a bioengineered food and why do some food packages now have that label?
You may be more familiar with the terms โgenetically modifiedโ or โGMOโ โ the new standard replaces those terms with โbioengineeredโ or โBE.โ
Black Texas farmers were finally on track to get federal aid. The stateโs agriculture commissioner wants to stop that.
Sid Miller is challenging a debt relief program that the U.S. Department of Agriculture saw as a way to correct historic discrimination. An advocate for Black Texas farmers says the challenge โpushes us back even further.โ
First-generation organic farmer prepares fields for more production amid increased demand
A first-generation organic farmer is preparing the fields for more production as more people continue to buy organic foods.
Abundance of rain hurting some San Antonio-area farmersโ crops
For many San Antonio-area farmers, crops are their sole source of income, and rain is always a welcome sight, but too much can be a problem. A farmer on the Southwest Side says this week has already brought too much rain, damaging some of his crops.
Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller running for reelection, instead of challenging Gov. Greg Abbott
Miller was seen as a potential challenger to Abbott because of his vocal criticism of the governor's restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19 last year.
Texas could give landowners more say in eminent domain negotiations under bill sent to Greg Abbottโs desk
After failing last session, lawmakers finalized a bill โ described as a โdelicate compromiseโ โ that provides new protections for landowners in negotiating with companies attempting to seize their land through eminent domain.
This Texas beekeeper helps homeowners, honeybees feel like they bee-long
All rights reserved)FILE - In this May 20, 2019 file photo, honeybees are shown on a frame at beekeeper Denise Hunsaker's apiary, in Salt Lake City. Erika Thompson, owner and founder of the Austin-based Texas Beeworks, has a pretty unique job. Sure youโve heard of beekeeping, but sheโs helping to preserve, protect and increase honeybee populations in Texas. The company works by helping to support the bees with hive removals and hive hostings for residents and businesses. You can hire a beekeeper to place and manage hives on your property registered by the Texas Apiary Inspection Service.
More than $600 million in agricultural losses accounted for so far, Texas A&M economist says
SAN ANTONIO โ Losses in the agriculture industry brought on by the winter storm in Texas are now estimated to be $605 million, according to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Dr. David Anderson, the education agencyโs livestock economist, said included in that figure are $228 million in losses to the livestock and poultry industries, as well as the animals who died due to the cold. RELATED: Texas Farm Bureau, others assessing winter storm damageโThat probably ate up a lot more cost than they were expecting in producing the birds this year,โ Anderson said. Full Screen 1 / 6 Image courtesy of Bryan Bettice, Adkins, Texas. Many had pumps that froze up, and damaged pipe systems now need repair to get water to their cattle.
Texas Farm Bureau, others assessing winter storm damage
POTH, Texas โ As the president of the Texas Farm Bureau, Russell Boening experienced much of what the rest of the stateโs agriculture industry endured during last monthโs record cold. Boening said he agrees with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Millerโs prediction that the financial impact of the winter storm could be a billion dollars, if not more. AdWith the fragrant orange blossoms already on the trees, Murden said next yearโs crop is gone. He said itโs been estimated the citrus industry has an economic impact of $468 million. The Texas Farm Bureau has been assessing the winter storm damage, but its spokesman said the figures, when complete, will come from the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
Were your plants damaged by the freeze? Hereโs what to do next.
โWhat we need to do is get some real sharp pruners, get some quality hand pruners, hedge shears, quality loppers and start. Rodriguez also recommends pulling the organic mulch away from plants to allow the late February sun to warm up the soil. Other plant life, like palms and sago palms, also took a beating. As long as their center is nice and firm, sago palms can make a comeback. Also, keep in mind that while we are approaching our average final freeze date in San Antonio, a freeze in March is always possible.
Produce distributor โcautiously optimisticโ as farmers across Texas count losses following winter storm
POTEET, Texas โ The area farmers who grew crops were unable to completely protect them against the record cold and are finding their prized harvest ruined after last weekโs winter storm. โThey got really cold, to the point where they just got brittle and theyโre falling apart right now,โ said Donovan Garcia Jr., who grows some of Poteetโs prized strawberries. Texas A&M AgriLife extension agents will be throughout affected areas assessing the damage and the economic impacts. Fernando Gonzalez, a major produce distributor, said he is โcautiously optimisticโ because the supply is good. โThereโs so much product that comes into Texas from all over the United States,โ Gonzalez said.
โWe should have been a priorityโ: Consumers may feel the pinch at checkout after Texas farmers hit hard by winter storm
ST. HEDWIG, Texas โ Farmers across Texas were hit hard by the recent winter storm and rotating blackouts that knocked out power in many communities. Consumers can expect to feel the effects at the grocery store, with empty shelves and higher prices for some products. But the Scotts could not make it through the 2021 winter storm that left much of Texas without power. State relief for farmers is not available, and federal funds are slow to trickle in, according to the agriculture commissioner. The Texas Department of Agriculture has the STAR Fund, which is made up of private donations that help farmers during a disaster.
Mystery seeds from China showing up in Texas mailboxes
Texas Tiny bags marked as jewelry have been showing up in the mailboxes of Texas residents but it turns out the bags actually contain seeds. Texans arent the only ones who have received packages of mystery seeds, residents across the nation have reported receiving unsolicited packages that appear to have originated in China, according to a CNN report. To date, packages containing these mystery seeds have also been received in Washington, Virginia, Utah, Kansas, Louisiana and Arizona, according to a press release from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. If you do receive a bag of the mystery seeds, do not throw them away. It could be a scam, or it very well could be dangerous, said Agrilife extension horticulturist Larry Stein.
Hemp farm just outside Boerne sees growth in first crop
SAN ANTONIO โ Hemp farming has begun in Texas this year and one set of farmers outside Boerne says they have some of the first crops in the state. The Texas Department of Agriculture began licensing farmers and businesses early this year to grow hemp after the state legislature greenlit farming of the plant. Pur IsoLabs in Bergheim, 10 miles east of Boerne off Highway 46, is one of the first to be licensed. Ruple and his wife Jennifer own Pur IsoLabs and have sold hemp products for the past five years, now they are expanding their business by starting to grow hemp right next to their store. This is just the beginning for the hemp farm industry, the future looks very promising for a plant that can be used in many ways.