YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

Texas farmers and ranchers have a great record of sustainability

By Gene Hall

Many slings and arrows are flung at farmers and ranchers these days, accusing them of taking everything from the land and giving nothing back. It falls under the buzzword called sustainability. The thought is they are fattening their wallets today by exploiting nature's gifts without regard to the future.

I'd chuckle at the ignorance but it's all too serious a notion that if it gains traction, could substantially affect the future of Texas farm families. And then I point out that many of these farm families have made a living on the same land for generations.

Over 4,800 family operations in most every county in the state have been recognized by the Texas Department of Agriculture as having farmed or ranched the same land for over 100 years.

They didn't get there by abusing the land. Productive soil is their life–and livelihood. Texas farmers and ranchers continually adapt and change how they nurture, improve and take care of that soil, operating under the assumption that they will leave it better for the next crop and the next generation.

They express their love of the land through hard work and perseverance, cultivating a relationship with the environment to ensure their families are sustained and we all have plentiful food to eat.

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

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