2024 Ag Preview
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Little Sprig Farm offers raw goat milk, lotions, soaps and lots of veggies
BY GAIL M. WILLIAMS Plainview Herald Correspondent
Daniel and Olivia
Stanfield have embraced farm
complete with all its sounds,
aches and triumphs.
Both Daniel and Olivia have masters degrees in teaching, and while Olivia teaches special ed in Plainview, Daniel takes care of the crops and animals at their Providence area farm.
Their main product is raw goat milk, which they sell for drinking and in the form of lotions and soaps.
“We have eight milking goats, four bucks and about 10 kids,” Daniel Stanfield said.
“We milk twice a day and feed twice a day using very specific rations.”
The goats are fed a mixture of alfalfa and grass hay along with commercial grass pellet rations when they’re on the milking stand and forage such as grass and weeds. Twice a day, they’re milked by hand.
“To milk all eight, it takes about 45 minutes. We’re pretty experienced with clean up and all that,” Stanfield said. “A lot of people drink it. We drink it. A lot of people on Herd Share get it for their pets. It’s really popular for dogs.”
Herd Share is a program that people can sign up for on the Little Sprig Farm website. People can buy into the care, feed
and boarding of the goats in exchange for raw milk.
“Raw milk has less of the content that makes stomach upset,” Stanfield said. “Lactose intolerant people can drink goat milk. How it tastes depends on what you feed them and how you take care of them.”
The Veggie Cart program offers a mixture of raw vegetables in a box.
“We grow a variety of veggies to take to the market. We raise salad and cooking greens, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, okra, cooking greens, radishes, carrots, onions. We also make canned pickles, and different things like sauerkraut, cabbage and peppers. Last year we grew 45 different varieties of things – that’s quite a bit.
“We pretty much do everything by hand. We use organic practices, such as fertilizing with manure from the goats. We have to irrigate because it doesn’t rain enough. We use drip irrigation so there’s less waste. The water drips right where the plant can use it.”
Little Sprig Farm soaps and lotions made with raw goat milk are available online.
“Our main outlet is Wolfforth Farmers Market. We’re there once every Saturday year round. Wolfforth is one of the few in the area that is year
round,” Stanfield said. “We do take a break from milking to give the girls time to rest up and have their next kids.”
The couple’s farm is in the Providence area. Stanfield grew up in the Plainview area and Olivia in Katy.
“It’s a suburb of Houston,” Stanfield said. “It’s quite different, but we’ve converted her nicely.”
For more information, call Little Sprig Farms at 806-7867515, or visit their website at littlesprigfarm.com.
COURTESY PHOTOS/Little Sprig Farm
The girl goats at Little Sprig Farm are milked twice a day and rest during breeding season. The Farm offers raw goat milk as well as lotions and soaps made from the milk.
Last year, Little Sprig Farm offered 45 varieties of vegetables at Wolfforth Farmers Market.
AgriTexGas keeps pipelines working over a wide area of West Texas
BY GAIL M. WILLIAMS Plainview Herald Correspondent
For many farmers and ranchers in the West Texas area, pipelines supply the vital source of energy that runs their irrigation systems as well as the energy that it takes to run the farm and ranch houses, the barns and stables that provide shelter for humans and animals.
AgriTexGas, LP
acquired and began operating an existing natural gas distribution system on May 1, 2009. Based in Plainview with offices in Brownfield and Hereford, employees provide service to 5,000 customers in 22 West Texas and Panhandle counties.
“We supply natural gas to a rural area that extends from near Dalhart to the State Line, down to Turkey, Quitaque, Silverton and Seminole,” said General Manager Eliza Ramos, who oversees the company along with Operations Manager Clyde Fields.
Extreme temperatures are a fact of life in West Texas, and AgriTexGas technicians are prepared to take care of emergencies created by all kinds of weather situations.
“It’s tough during the wintertime, what with low temperatures and storms,” Ramos said. “In January, it’s so cold that gas lines out there tend to freeze.
A lot of times, condensation sits in the lines, builds up and will freeze, causing customers to lose gas.”
AgriTexGas has 15 employees plus contractors and runs about 15 trucks.
“Our technicians are out there all hours of the night, checking the line to see what’s frozen,” Ramos said. “We have technicians and contractors in several locations including Plainview, Hartford, Tulia - we try to get them as close as we can to where the customers live so they can respond quickly.”
According to their website, “AgriTexGas, LP is committed to operating and maintaining its pipeline in a safe, environmentally sound manner. The company has gone to great lengths to insure the pipeline’s integrity, taking steps well beyond the requirements of law, regulation and industry standards to protect the people, community and environment along its route.”
The company strongly urges customers to call before they dig or if they notice any problems.
“We emphasize the number 8-1-1,” Ramos said. “That’s the number they need to call if they notice anything at all. You never know what’s under that ground. There could be electrical, natural gas, telephone, fiber optics, water lines–you name it. Once you call 8-1-1, we can contact anybody that has lines in the area. Our guys have been trained to repair those lines once
they get out there.”
A Plainview native, Ramos started working in the AgriTexGas office in 2011.
“Our mission is to provide the best customer service to our customers, to get out there and take care of them,” she said. AgriTexGas, LP is owned by a partner-
ship based in Dallas. According to their website, AgriTexGas, LP continually strives to maintain, improve and expand the operating system. With a strong commitment to rural customer service, their office staff and service technicians respond to customer concerns
in a timely and efficient manner.
The company’s Plainview office is located at 827 Broadway. Business hours are from 8 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call them at 806-2880493 or visit their website at https:// agritexgas.com/.
AgriTexGas is committed to
notice anything.
AgriTexGas keeps pipelines working over a wide
The link between agriculture and food security
The world faces many unique challenges in the decades to come, including a rapidly expanding global population. The United Nations estimates that the global population will reach 9.71 billion in 2050. That’s an increase of more than 1.7 billion people between 2023 and 2050.
Food security is among the more significant challenges the world will face as the population increases. The United States Agency for International Development notes that food security means all individuals, regardless of their physical or economic circum-
stances, have access to sufficient food to meet the dietary needs for a productive, healthy life. Food security is a more significant issue than people may recognize, even in first world, fully developed countries. For example, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service indicates that slightly more than 10 percent of U.S. households were food insecure at some point during 2021. In fact, estimates suggest more than 800 million people across the globe go to bed hungry every night, which underscores the seriousness of the issue.
Plants often are only as strong as the soil in which they grow. While certain greenery may thrive no matter where it’s planted, soil conditions are often key to successful growing. Sodic soil is one condition people may experience at home or in commercial farming operations. Sodic soils, sometimes called saline-alkali soils or dispersive soils, are
Agriculture and food security
Food security and the agricultural industry are inextricably linked. The USAID indicates that most of the people who go to bed hungry at night are smallholder farmers who depend on agriculture to make a living and feed themselves and their families. Supporting efforts to strengthen the agricultural industry can help to combat food security, as the USAID reports that growth within that sector has been found to be at least twice as effective at reducing poverty as growth in other sectors. Much of that can be traced to
the disproportionate percentage of poor people who live in rural rather than urban areas. For example, the USAID reports that 75 percent of poor people in developing nations live in rural areas. But the poverty rate is higher in rural areas than urban areas in the United States as well. Data from the 2019 American Community Survey indicates the poverty rate in rural areas was 15.4 percent in 2019 compared
to 11.9 percent in urban areas. Though recent data regarding rural poverty rates in Canada is unavailable, a 2013 discussion paper on the topic from the Government of Canada noted that the country’s rural residents earned less and had lower levels of education than residents in urban areas, suggesting that poverty is likely more prevalent in the Canadian countryside than in the country’s cities.
What can be done Though food security poses a significant global challenge, lack of access to healthy foods is preventable. Individuals in rural and urban communities can voice their support for efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector. A thriving agricultural sector can ensure fewer people go to bed hungry each night and bolster the economies of rural communities that are disproportionately affected by poverty.
Getting to the root of sodic soil
defined as having high levels of exchangeable sodium and low levels of total salts, according to the Colorado State University Extension. These conditions compromise growing conditions because sodic soils tend to be poorly drained and crust over. Water intake also can be poor in sodic soils, and pH is usually high Ñ coming in above 9.0. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development of the Government of Western Australia ad-
vises a simple sodic soil test to check for sodicity. One can collect dry soil aggregates (crumbs of soil) from different depths. Those crumbs should be placed into a clear jar of distilled water, taking care not to mix or agitate the soil. The water around the edges of sodic soil will become cloudy and appear milky. For highly dispersive soil, the dispersion will be evident after about 10 to 30 minutes. Moderately sodic soil may take 2 hours. Individuals can
take steps to improve sodic soil. Gypsum is the most commonly used amendment for sodic soil, according to Science Direct. It also can reduce the harmful effects of high-sodium irrigation waters. Gypsum is a mineral that is composed of hydrated calcium sulfate. Gypsum has an effect on reducing the rate of soil erosion. It is more effective when gypsum is spread on the soil surface rather than mixed in. Limestone, which also contains calcium,
is another additive that can amend sodic soils. Gardeners may want to add calcium to the soil because it replaces the sodium and then the sodium can be leached out. Additional mitigation methods for sodic soils include changing plant species or varieties to more tolerant ones that will grow more readily. Commercial farmers or home gardeners may encounter sodic soil. Though sodic soil is not ideal, it can be remedied in various ways
Spring is the time for Texans to ‘two-step’ toward fire ant control
Spring is an ideal time to take the first step to fire ant control, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
“This is the time of year when ants begin foraging for food and when spring rains percolate through the soil and destroy underground fire ant tunnels,” said Robert Puckett, Ph.D. AgriLife Extension entomologist in Texas
A&M’s Department of Entomology, Bryan-College Station.
“This causes them to deposit new tunnel soil as a mound on the surface above, making them much easier to locate.”
Puckett said the Two-Step Method is AgriLife Extension’s preferred means of fire ant control.
About the TwoStep method
The Two-Step Method is less labor-intensive, less toxic and more environmentally friendly than most other means of do-it-yourself fire ant control. It can be an efficient, effective and safe way to control fire ants for an indi-
vidual home, large property or entire community.
The first step involves semi-annual broadcast applications of fire ant bait. The second involves follow-up treatments of individual mounds or “nuisance” ant colonies, such as those in sensitive or high-traffic areas.
— Step one: The use of fire ant bait as the first step is effective as temperatures begin to rise and ants begin to gather forage to feed their new brood.
“Spring and fall are particularly good times to apply baits,” Puckett said. “Once it gets hot and dry, as in the summer months, fire ants become less active, and mounds become less visible as ants go deeper into the soil.”
Broadcasting bait across a property is also advantageous in that users don’t have to find the fire ant colonies, he said.
“Fire ant colonies can be difficult to locate, especially over a large area, so using a bait is less costly in terms of time and the amount of product needed for treating larger areas,” Puckett said. “Ants pick up the bait and return it to the nest, so they do most of the work for you.” He said the fire ant bait concentration is very low compared to residential insecticides.
“The recommended amount of grains per area is fairly low, so it’s not necessary to use a lot of insecticide,” he said. “While the efficacy of baits may differ, they all work pretty well.”
The baits that work faster are also usually more expensive, so Puckett said homeowners should determine if the cost is worth the result.
— Step two:
Because fire ant mounds are most visible this time of year, especially after a rain, they are easier to locate to do the second step. This involves treating the largest or most troublesome mounds with an individual mound treatment, such as a liquid drench or some form of granular, non-bait insecticide or dust.
“Most contact insecticides applied directly to the mound kill the colony in one-to-two days,” Puckett said. “If the area has just a few mounds, then it may not even be necessary to apply bait as a first step.”
He said it is extremely important to follow label instructions and not mix too little or too much water if using a liquid insecticide.
“Aside from the label
Full Ser vice Automotive/Truck Repair
Wholesale Truck, Ag & Industrial
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being the law, these products have been tested for efficacy and safety at a particular concentration, so you don’t want to guess at what may or may not happen if you vary from instructions,” he said.
Wearing proper protection such as gloves and possibly even safety goggles is key if you’re mixing chemicals. Puckett said to always be mindful of protecting yourself and the environment.
Proper use of fire ant control products
Puckett said one of the reasons AgriLife Extension developed the Two-Step Method was to help consumers make sense of all the fire ant control products on the market.
The insecticide label determines where a product can be used, whether it’s a lawn, garden, agricultural production pasture or orchard. Users should always read the pesticide label to be sure the site they are treating is listed, then follow all label instructions.
Puckett provided the following suggestions related to fire ant control:
• Do not use gasoline or other petroleum products to control fire ants. Although these kill fire ants, they are highly flammable and are dangerous to both the user and the environment.
• Don’t leave insecticide granules on streets or sidewalks after application. Sweep up any excess product so it doesn’t wash into gutters or storm sewers and affect the water table.
• Always follow label directions on the proper disposal of pesticides. Do not pour pesticide leftovers down the drain as they are not easily removed by regular wastewater treatment.
Left to right: Angie Brush, Lissa Orozco Randy L. Webb Peter Siemens Jr Cisneros Jeff Brush, Caylee Brush, Jeremy Brush.
Berr y Brush
Spring is when fire ants begin searching for food and when rains cause them to deposit new soil that appears on the surface as a mound. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Using a handheld spreader to broadcast fire ant bait onto a yard.
(Texas A&M AgriLife photo)
Originally from the suburbs of New Orleans, Alisha Patterson always enjoyed cooking and baking, but she found her first real taste for food science through the National FFA Organization’s Agriscience Fair.
Could people taste the difference between white and brown eggs? Had the reduced workforce in milk processing plants during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in decreased bacterial counts in the dairy products? These were the kinds of questions that captivated Patterson and prompted her FFA advisor to suggest she investigate the field of food science.
Along with her father, a Texas native, Patterson visited the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Depart-
ment of Food Science and Technology for a meet-and-greet event on Aggieland Saturday during her junior year of high school.
“Everybody seemed really supportive of the students, like they wanted to help build the students to be their best selves and help them further their career,” Patterson said. “That’s what really attracted me to study food science at Texas A&M.”
Stirring up fascination in food science
Since graduating high school and moving to Texas in 2021, Patterson has continued to enjoy asking questions about food science and finding ways to share the interest with others, much like she did in her high school FFA projects.
Sharing the sensational side of food science
Junior food science major fosters curiosity in the field and serves her community
One of her most memorable moments was during her freshman year, when she volunteered to attend an event at an elementary school with the Food Science Club, presenting projects to spark scientific curiosity among the younger students. Patterson’s project idea involved creating sensory kits tailored to each child’s “mouth behavior” group: chewer, cruncher, smoosher or sucker.
“I did my research and found kids’ snacks that would relate to each of those preferences,” Patterson said. “Then, with help from the Food Science Club, I made a ballot that the kids could easily understand and fill out. It was a great way to get them involved and give them a little taste of what sensory science is about.”
Many of Patterson’s most rewarding experiences in the department stem from similar instances that allow her to apply her knowledge in a hands-on way and bring others into the food science fun. One such case was in the Food Chemistry class she took with Stephen
Talcott, Ph.D., where she and the other students were tasked with elevating the quality of a generic product to match that of a top-brand item. Another favorite class for Patterson is Sensory Evaluation of Foods with Rhonda Miller, Ph.D., where she is learning to organize taste-test panels.
“We recently finished with a tasting panel that asked people if they could tell the difference between two brands,” Patterson said. “My group focused on sweet teas, so we went around campus handing out samples and having volunteers fill out ballots with their guesses. I really enjoy this kind of project because it lets me meet new people and get to know my groupmates a little more.”
Science with a side of service
Patterson also keeps busy with extracurricular activities, many of which relate to her studies and passion for community service. Early on in her education, she participated in Cupcakes for a Cause, a student organization that donates
profits from the sales of homemade cupcakes to a local charity. She later joined Women Helping Out Other People, WHOOP, another student organization dedicated to giving back to the community.
“Throughout my high school career, I did a lot of volunteer activities and always enjoyed them,” Patterson said. “I find a lot of gratitude from being able to do that in college as well, to give back and use my time in these helpful ways.”
Patterson is also the secretary of the Food Science Club. Her role involves monitoring attendance at meetings to give out prizes for those with high attendance later in the semester and finding volunteer opportunities for the members.
“We’ll occasionally go to the Brazos Valley Food Bank and help out there, and we participate in The Big Event,” Patterson said.
“We also have professionals visit and speak to us about their companies, and the club promotes internship opportunities and showcases different aspects of the food
science field we could go into.
“Food science is not a big major. What I enjoy most about the club is that it helps us to build a community,” she said.
A future in sensory science
Looking ahead, Patterson plans to continue her education in the sensory side of food science, aiming to earn a master’s degree before launching into the industry. From there, she hopes to find work as a sensory scientist, organizing taste-test panels and evaluating people’s perception of food products — as she’s done in her previous projects.
To future food science students, she recommends trying everything you can.
“The Food Science Club is a great place to start building a career in the food industry,” Patterson said. “And don’t be afraid to talk to faculty about your goals, because everyone in the department is willing to dedicate time to help you find the best area of food science for you.”
Alisha Patterson is a junior food science major at Texas A&M University and secretary of the Food Science Club.
(Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Roger’s Jolly Crop Insurance expands to Plainview office
by the Jolly Family since 1979.
check,” Jolly Evans said. “Farmers have so many decisions to make, that if they’re not insured properly, they can miss out.
“For example, the NRCS has a dry land conversion program that pays farmers very decent money to convert to dry land. Right now, we’re running out of water naturally, so it’s going to make some people a lot of the money they really need. We can act as an information source as well as their primary risk management office to be sure that everyone’s eligible for everything.”
Jolly Evans’ father Neal Jolly owns the business that was started by his father Ed Rogers. Gavin Jolly, Neal Jolly’s son,
has an MBA as well as a CPA. He’s skilled at producing and reading the spreadsheets that keep track of what’s due to whom and when. According to their website, “Proudly locally owned and operated since 1979, Ed Rogers started this agency with farmers in mind. Three
generations later the agency is operated everyday with farmers at the center. We pride ourselves in our ability to keep up with the constantly changing industry.”
Tulia’s office location is 529 N Highway 87. Call them at 806-9953541, or check out their website.
COURTESY PHOTOS/Roger’s Jolly - Roger’s Jolly Crop Insurance agency in Tulia.
L to R: Dillon, Drew, JaLea, Jamie, and Dane Morphis
L to R: Gavin, Mallary, Fredric, Wesley Jolly. Tonda and Neil Jolly, Adri, Herny, and Eric Evans
Taking care of people in need
Tanya Holloway, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service family and community health, FCH, agent in Hemphill County, wasn’t even in town when the Smokehouse Creek Fire started on Feb. 26. And with the fires raging, she couldn’t get all the way home to Canadian when she hurried back to the Texas Panhandle from a training in San Angelo.
But when she finally walked through the doors of the AgriLife Extension office on Feb. 28, she was prepared — by lessons learned over multiple disasters — to handle what has taken place during the past two weeks.
The ‘helping hands’ of AgriLife Extension appear
Just mentioning what happened as she began to tackle the monumental tasks that awaited her brings Holloway to tears. They showed up— her AgriLife Extension “people.”
“My very first people who showed up were our 4-H moms,” she said. “I could look at them, and I knew who could handle what. I knew when I asked them, it would be handled and done right.
Our AgriLife Extension community, both agriculture and FCH people, have just all shown up, and brought more help with them.”
Long before outside
People throughout the state, nation respond
Toiletries, pots, pans, diapers, wipes, linens, water, food, water and more water began pouring into the AgriLife Extension supply point established primarily for human needs at the Hemphill County Exhibition Center.
Such an outpouring of kindness had to be managed to ensure effective outreach to those in need as well as to keep track of the 1,000s of donations coming in from across the nation.
In the 2017 fires, Hemphill County only had two homes burned, so helping those people affected through donated household items was not a major issue.
But when the fires hit again in 2022, some homes were burned to the ground, and one was uninsured. That’s when Holloway first put together a task force for the human side of wildfire recovery—including bringing together representatives from schools, hospitals, the city, the county, the chamber of commerce and local churches—every group that would play a role. They created a 501(3) c run through the First Baptist Church and the Ministerial Alliance.
“This year, we’ve had 58 homes burn to the ground or that are uninhabitable, and 19 were uninsured,” Holloway said. “When you have 58 homes damaged in a community this size, that has a large effect.”
tify anyone displaced by the fire and determine their needs. One is now helping the ag side identify who was affected and helping to get an accounting of losses, whether equipment, grassland, cattle or fencing.
“Sometimes, it just takes a while before people come in for help; maybe they haven’t used our services before,” Holloway said. “We need to know where we need to be helping so, to the best of our ability, we don’t miss anyone.”
Ensuring the donations go to those in need
“This is AgriLife Extension handling this donation site,”
Holloway said, which means education is an important aspect of the recovery process. This includes letting people know to be wary of scams, helping them understand the necessary protocols associated with getting assistance and explaining how to maximize state funding for the good of the community.
agencies arrived on the scene, she said, “We were off and running and identifying our families. We knew who had lost their homes, and we were working through Facebook to find out where they were living and who needed help.”
All totaled, she estimates about 40 people have been a part of the current human relief efforts—with many helping every day and some for a day or two. Some young men from Missouri showed up and worked the weekend; the local football team came out and spent the day unloading sacks; and numerous church groups pitched in to help.
The county exhibition center, which is primarily the intake point for the human side of the disaster, was also needed for inside storage for sacked feed – pet food and livestock feed, fencing supplies and square bales of hay. So, they had more than just home goods to manage.
The rest of the larger agriculture supplies are being stored at Canadian Animal Health and Nutrition, the local feed store, at 100 Hackberry, where Holloway’s husband Andy, an AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, devotes much of his time.
Holloway said another group she depended on was three retired women who are food pantry volunteers and connected with her through their church. They did all the calling and outreach to iden-
A resource fair on March 9, hosted by the Texas Department of Emergency Management and other agencies, helped work through many of those issues with the people who needed help.
Outpouring of love becomes responsibility
While most everyone is well-meaning and helpful in times of disaster, sometimes people don’t think about the gravity of all of it, Holloway said.
“We had a company that wanted to donate 500 boxes of chicken quarters. We had to let them know the people who might use them no longer had freezers, and the entire town didn’t have that much freezer space; some didn’t even have electricity,” she said.
“If you don’t take care of the paperwork with details, we don’t get that support,” Holloway said. “Everything must be documented, and we are trying to help with that process. There must be some accountability to ensure the donations reach the individuals in need.”
She said her continuous message to those who call wanting to make donations is: “I can assure you we have a committee that will assess the needs, and it will be distributed accordingly. Your money will go to the people— not the bureaucracy.”
The committee started a rubric based on the
“We must look at the people in need and see what is happening in their homes and lives to determine what they really need. There is nothing normal up and running for many of them. We must start with where they are and determine what they can use. For instance, where would they put five bags of clothes if they are now living in a fifth wheel?”
She said she tries to convey that it is easier to give people the means to buy their own clothes rather than sort through clothes that might need to be repaired, laundered and sorted. That is one reason Holloway did not ask for clothing donations, although many still showed up.
The donation outflow is much slower than the intake, so while Holloway and her volunteers are trying to send supplies out, the building is
percentage of loss, she said. If someone lost a home and has no insurance, they might get more money, but, eventually, every single person or household will get something to help.
“We are at that point working our way through this process. We want to help them consider all their losses —contents, equity in the home, landscaping —things they may not consider at this time as they are trying to begin the recovery process,” Holloway said.
filled wall to wall. They are now at a maximum on home donations.
“Right now, many people don’t have a place to live and until they can sort through those things, it will take time before they can come pick up more of these supplies,” she said.
Holloway said she started learning the “process thinking” about 35 years ago when she was part of a women’s Christian outreach group. She said people love to send clothes and water, so stemming that
tide early is important. She has circulated another message far and wide—no more water; they have enough to fill five swimming pools already.
Over the years, Holloway said she found that what works in a onetown county or rural area is very different from what works in an urban county. So, this wildfire and the response are much different than taking care of a disaster such as Hurricane Harvey in a much larger town. People in the cities need help putting things in perspective when they call to donate. They see the massiveness of the acreage, but they don’t understand it is not a large number of people.
“It’s a different mindset, and it can’t be pigeon-holed,” Holloway said. “I’m the agent here, so my goal is to take care of my people to the best of my ability. We are both state and county employees, and I will do what I can for them. And that’s how the people on the task force feel. These are our people, our families and our friends. We want to be there for them.”
Disaster brings back all too familiar feelings, thus understanding Holloway said she and her husband have a special dedication to helping others pull through the disaster because they understand what it is like to lose everything.
“Ours wasn’t the same way, but drought took our livelihood away, so while this isn’t a drought, we know how they feel having to start over,” she said. “We are tied to these people— they saved us, loved on us and took care of us. Now, we need to be there for them.”
Some people lost their homes and cattle, some just lost cattle and some just lost their homes, but there is no one in the town who is not affected by the whole
disaster, Holloway said. The ranches pay taxes and that affects the school, hospital, bank and all the stores in town.
“Either people need our help, or they are here to help,” she said.
Holloway is now using the Reach app to maintain contact with all the people who lost their homes, updating them on items available to be picked up and asking them to let her know if there are specific items they need. She has been given Amazon cards to order items that will keep the families living day to day.
“My plan is to keep things here through the end of May,” she said. “We want to give people time to get back on their feet, and their needs while they are in some temporary housing will be different than when they move into more permanent housing.”
She said once the fencing starts in force, they will want to make sure the crews can come get water and snacks, such as the snack bags they fixed for the ranchers and their cowboys riding the pastures after the fire to assess damages.
Finally, Holloway said, “You always have to have an exit plan.” There must be a plan for what to do with things that are left over, especially if there is someone who could use them. She is currently looking for good uses for all the extra water they received.
“We can send it on the bus with our kids headed to sporting events or wherever,” she said. “Right now, just about anyone or any organization that needs water should be able to get it.”
Tanya Holloway, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service family and community health agent for Hemphill County, right, along with 4-H leaders Jamie Messner and Wendy Cook, help manage the daily tasks at the donation supply point for human needs in Canadian. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Volunteers take in and sort donated goods at the supply point for human disaster relief in the Hemphill County Exhibition Center run by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office for Hemphill County in Canadian. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife)
The Hemphill County Exhibition Center has filled with donated goods ranging from toilet paper to water and toiletries to animal feed. About 40 volunteers have helped to bring in and distribute the goods on behalf of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Canadian. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife)
BY GAIL M. WILLIAMS
Plainview Herald Correspondent
Year after year West Texans watch the progress of the cotton crop from delicate yellow blossoms to the full boll, ready for harvest.
“Cotton growing is definitely a rich tradition and a legacy within the farming community, and I don’t see that tradition changing,” said DeltaPine Brand
Manager Lauren Bessent. “A rich heritage is handed down from the producers and the growers as they continue to produce and their families are engaged in that production.”
DeltaPine, part of Bayer Crop Science, offers cotton bred for its traits to growers throughout the Cotton Belt.
“DeltaPine was originally Delta and
Pine Land,” Bessent said. “In 1915 they were established in Mississippi. They became a presence across the Cotton Belt and a leader in cotton industry for many, many years. DeltaPine is the No. 1 cotton brand planted throughout the Cotton Belt and in West Texas.”
Within their trait platform are products such as BollGard3 Xtendflex and BollGard3 ThryvOn. The cotton varieties are designed with desirable traits such as insect resistance and insecticide toleration.
“DeltaPine is a cotton seed brand that supplies seed and crop protection products such as pesticides that can be used on cotton-growing acres. There are also
herbicides that growers can purchase from their retail partner,” Bessent said.
Cotton can be used for a variety of purposes beyond clothing products.
“Cotton seed within the lint can go to a feedyard or a dairy or an oil mill,” Bessent said. “The impact of the cotton industry can be felt year round.”
When the grower establishes a crop, they add in partnerships with the retail dealer, the local irrigation business and the insurance agency.
“It’s extremely dynamic. Cotton comes back to local individuals from the dealer to the retailer all the way to the ginned crop anywhere through-
out the globe. Cotton has a massive impact locally and globally,” Bessent said. “At Bayer and DeltaPine, we truly value that partner on that acre and the local impact that it has back on the communities.”
Area cotton farmers face significant challenges due to rainfall amounts.
“Hale County acreage is about 60 percent dry land with 40 percent irrigated. So, there is a significant amount of both dry land and irrigated acres,” Bessent said. “We have efforts focused on breeding varieties that are proven to perform in low water, dry land environments, varieties that can fit in with the West Texas environmental challenges.”
DeltaPine Area Sales Rep Chad Cook lives in Lockney, and other reps are based in various communities throughout the West Texas Panhandle.
“They’re a definite physical presence, integrated within the community that they grew up in and call home,” Bessent said.
Bessent is based out of Lubbock, where she was born and raised.
“I am grateful at this time to have the opportunity to travel throughout the Cotton Belt,” she said.
For more information, go to the Bayer Crop Science website, scroll to bottom of the page and select Contact Us.
DeltaPine helps West Texas grow cotton seeds with desirable traits Career Opportunities
in the agricultural sector
Individuals approach their careers in various ways. Some may aspire to climb the corporate ladder, while others may pursue a career that affords them ample personal time to spend how they see fit.
Many individuals look for careers that afford them ample opportunities to work in the great outdoors, which could make the agricultural sector an appealing industry.
Talented individuals with an array of diverse skills dot the agricultural sector landscape, and the following are just a few of the many careers to
consider within this vital industry.
Equipment technician:
Data from the career experts at Indeed indicates agricultural equipment technicians earn an average salary around $65,000 per year.
Agricultural equipment technicians maintain and repair existing machines and install new ones, among their many responsibilities.
Purchasing agent:
An agricultural purchasing agent buys products and raw materials at wholesale.
Indeed notes that purchasing agents often must meet specific purchasing quotas for processors and work with various clients who supply an array of agricultural products. The national average salary for agricultural purchasing agents is around $51,000 annually.
Warehouse manager:
The receiving, shipping and storage of agricultural materials is overseen by a warehouse manager.
Indeed notes that these professionals now routinely utilize artificial intelligence products to manage inventory. Warehouse managers must know
and adhere to safety procedures and guidelines that dictate how materials and products are stored. The average salary of a warehouse manager is around $52,000 per year.
Sales:
Like every industry, the agricultural sector requires talented sales personnel.
Agricultural sales reps sell materials and products and identify the needs of potential customers. Agricultural sales reps may spend ample time on the road at trade shows. Doing so allows them to identify customers
as well as their needs and wants, and promote their own products and services. An ability to foster strong and trusting interpersonal relationships is invaluable for agricultural sales reps, who Indeed reports earn an average of about $60,000 per year.
Environmental engineer:
Environmental engineers play pivotal roles within the industry, and could become even more vital in the decades ahead as the effects of climate change become more apparent. Environmental engineers design and implement
solutions that occur on agricultural sites, helping to address issues such as unhealthy soil, insufficient drainage and inefficiencies, among other concerns.
A career as an environmental engineer within the agricultural industry can be rewarding and lucrative, with Indeed noting that the average annual salary for this position is a little more than $77,000.
These are just some of the career paths individuals can consider as they explore the agricultural sector.
Challenges facing the agricultural sector
Since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic in early 2020, businesses big and small have faced significant challenges. Though the pandemic has ended, many sectors, including the agricultural industry, are facing familiar and unfamiliar challenges.
The agricultural sector is crucial to the survival and health of billions of people across the globe. Though it’s obvious that modern agriculture is vital to feeding a global population that was greater than eight billion people at the dawn of 2024, the United Nations notes that agriculture also
boosts prosperity and economies by providing jobs.
That reality only underscores the notion that the challenges facing the agricultural sector are facing everyone, even those whose livelihoods are not directly linked to the industry. According to Earth.org, an organization that offers environmental news, data analysis, research, and policy solutions, the following are three sizable challenges facing modern agriculture.
Climate change:
Perhaps no challenge is greater for humanity in the twenty-first
century than climate change, and the agricultural sector is no exception.
Climate change has caused shifting weather patterns marked by unpredictability and potentially disastrous developments like prolonged drought.
Estimates from NASA indicate corn yields may decrease by 24 percent by the end of this century, a potentially dangerous development linked to a host of factors, including a shifting climate and elevated surface carbon dioxide concentrations that can be traced to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
Population growth:
The booming global population is attributable to numerous factors, including longer life expectancies in developed nations due to medical advancements. How to keep the global population fed at a time when the climate is adversely affecting crop yields is a significant challenge facing both humanity and the agricultural sector. As the population grows, so, too, does the demand for water, which also must be used to grow crops.
Navigating this challenge will be significant, and how it’s
managed could affect the economic stability of the agricultural industry in the decades to come.
Investment:
Perhaps no industry is more vital to human survival than agriculture. Earth.org notes that countries with strong agricultural sectors often boast higher standards of living and health than nations with a less productive agricultural industry. Despite that, Earth.org notes that investment in the agricultural sector is not commensurate with the growing population. Supporting measures to invest more heavily in the agricultural
sector could reduce food shortages in the decades to come and ensure the agricultural sector is better positioned to address the many challenges it is already confronting in the twenty-first century.
The challenges facing the agricultural sector affect those who work in the industry but also the global population as a whole. Recognition of that reality may compel more people to support measures designed to ensure the agricultural sector can thrive and help the world to overcome potentially devastating challenges in the decades ahead.
Eggs to dye for, eggs to eat
What to keep in mind before you buy eggs for Easter
Hard-boiled eggs headed to the dinner table this Easter may not be the best eggs to dye for décor and Easter egg hunts, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service poultry specialist.
With egg prices rising ahead of the Easter holiday, keeping purpose in mind when looking at sizes and grades can help you get the most out of the extra carton or two purchased.
The eggs you dye for Easter should ideally be size medium or smaller, said Greg Archer, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension poultry specialist and associate professor in the Texas A&M Department of Poultry Science, Bryan-College Station.
The smaller the egg the more cuticle it
has, which means the more uniformly it will dye, he said. The cuticle is an invisible layer deposited on the outside of an egg that fills the gas exchange pores and helps keep bacteria from entering the egg.
“The jumbo and extra-large eggs have less cuticle, which means they won’t receive the dye as uniformly and be as nice looking as smaller eggs,” Archer said. “You’ll get a prettier
dye job with fewer splotches of darker and uneven color if you use small eggs.”
On the other hand, he said the eggs you want to hard-boil to eat or use for deviled eggs or egg salad are typically better larger.
The larger the egg, the easier it will be to peel because of the thinner cuticle.
Be egg-stra careful about eating hardboiled eggs
Regardless of the size of egg you dye, you can safely eat them after they have been used for an egg hunt or as dining table décor — if proper safety practices have been observed before and after boiling.
A free guide to egg safety can be downloaded on the AgriLife Learn website. The guide also offers doit-yourself egg dyes if you want to create your own colors with-
out using food coloring or store-bought kits.
Hard-boiled eggs should not be left out for more than one or two hours, and the warmer the temperature the smaller that safety zone. After that period, toss the eggs out.
Any cracked or damaged eggs should also be disposed of and not consumed.
When it comes to easier peeling, it is also better to use eggs that have been sitting in your fridge for several weeks rather than a fresh carton you just purchased, Archer said.
Once hard-boiled, eggs should be refrigerated and eaten within a week.
Five fun egg facts
Archer shared five fun egg facts you can impress family and friends with over Easter.
1. If your hard-boiled egg yolk is green or off in color, it is due to the minerals like iron in the water used to boil them. They are safe to eat, and it won’t affect the taste.
2. The smaller the egg, the younger the hen. Jumbo eggs come from hens in their golden years.
3. White and brown eggs taste the same if the birds are fed the same diet.
4. If you prefer the taste of backyard flock or farmers market eggs, it is probably because you are enjoying the taste imparted by the birds’ specific diet, particularly the “bug fat.”
5. Colored eggs are typically the product of hybrid crosses of two poultry breeds. Depending on the types of birds crossed, colors can range from blue to pink to orange and even maroon.
— Susan Himes Susan.Himes@ag.tamu.edu
The eggs you dye for Easter should ideally be on the smaller side for the best results. Larger eggs will tend to be splotchier and less uniform in color. (Adam Russell/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Naturally colored eggs are the result of hybrid crosses of birds. (Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Liu brings genetics expertise to AgriLife Research wheat breeding program
Familiarity brings smooth transition within Texas public wheat breeding program
The career of Shuyu Liu, Ph.D., has come full circle with his appointment as the Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheat breeder in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil and Crop Sciences.
Liu, a wheat genetics, genomics and breeding professor, has significantly contributed to the AgriLife Research wheat program for the past 13 years. He was based at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Amarillo before moving in January to take on this new role in
quality at the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Jinan, Shandong, China.
“I am very excited about my transition from a wheat geneticist to a breeder,” Liu said. “It is my dream job to be a breeder to develop and release better cultivars and contribute directly to improving food security and safety worldwide.”
Liu said he greatly and deeply appreciated all the support from AgriLife Research, the College and Texas A&M University to make this transition fast
valuable scientific resource for Texans and Texas producers.”
AgriLife Research wheat breeding program
The U.S. Great Plains, including Texas, is a major winter wheat production region and can produce up to 40% of U.S. winter wheat. In Texas alone, the gross value of wheat production is around $480 million.
Wheat differs from other major crops grown in the U.S. in that public breeding programs actively
Bryan-College Station. While he has a well-established reputation nationally and internationally for his wheat genetics work, Liu started his career 36 years ago in China as a wheat breeder.
He conducted wheat genetics and breeding studies on yield, disease resistance, drought tolerance and
and smooth. “This important position represents a convergence of world-class expertise bridging several units across Texas A&M,” said Amir Ibrahim, Ph.D., AgriLife Research associate director and chief scientific officer who held the wheat breeding role before Liu. “It will continue to be an immensely
and the Blacklands. Its primary breeding objectives are directed toward resistance to heat stress, leaf rust, stripe rust, stem rust, powdery mildew and Hessian fly.
The Amarillo-Vernon Center of Excellence, led by Jackie Rudd, Ph.D., AgriLife Research wheat breeder, targets the High Plains and Rolling Plains of Texas, with primary breeding objectives aimed at resistance to drought, wheat curl mite, wheat streak mosaic virus, greenbug and Russian wheat aphid.
“The Soil and Crop Sciences Department is thrilled to have Dr. Liu take on leadership of our center of excellence in wheat breeding at College Station with his growth over the past several years,” said David Baltensperger, Ph.D., department head. “We look forward to refilling his position in Amarillo to continue to support the genetics behind the breeding programs.”
A lifetime of breeding for better wheat genetics
develop commercial varieties. AgriLife Research has two Centers of Excellence that conduct variety development and basic genetic studies in wheat, oat and triticale.
The College Station Center of Excellence, which will now be led by Liu, targets Central Texas, South Texas
Liu’s research objective as a geneticist was to understand genetic mechanisms for improving tolerance to drought, diseases and insects in wheat cultivars. He also identified new sources of tolerance to various stresses and molecular markers tightly linked to the target genes conditioning those tolerances. He has been instrumental in developing genetic and genomic tools for
genomic-assisted selection and breeding. Lui’s overall goals have been to expedite cultivar development and increase wheat’s climate resilience, stress tolerance, grain yield and breadmaking quality. He and his team have identified molecular markers associated with high yield, superior end-use quality and resistance to many of the major diseases and insects facing Texas wheat producers including stripe rust, wheat streak mosaic virus, greenbug, Hessian fly and wheat curl mite.
Those molecular markers were published and are used by the USDA-ARS genotyping lab to test wheat lines in the region.
He also led a project in which his team developed high-throughput molecular markers for major pest-resistance genes in wheat wild relatives. He made those markers available to wheat breeders to make the gene transfer more efficient. Liu and his team also developed new germplasms by combining superior genes from TAM 111, TAM 112, TAM 114 and wild wheat relatives.
Liu is a leader in developing tightly linked molecular markers for marker-assisted breeding for host-plant resistance in several major diseases and pests and their transmitted viral diseases. He also established a successful high-throughput wheat doubled haploid production system to shorten cultivar devel-
opment time by three to four years.
His team integrated genomic-assisted breeding and doubled haploid into the current wheat-breeding pipelines to accelerate cultivar release with resistance to multiple stresses. This allows farmers to get the newly released cultivars sooner.
Background and education
Before coming to AgriLife Research, Liu was a research scientist at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he worked on breeding and genetic studies for resistance to Fusarium head blight, powdery mildew, rust and net blotch in wheat and barley.
He earned his doctorate in plant breeding and genetics from the University of Missouri-Columbia; his master’s degree from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado; and his bachelor’s degree from Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, China.
His expertise has led to invitations to collaborate with wellknown international wheat scientists, and he has published his research in high-impact journals, including Nature Biotechnology, Communications Biology and The Plant Journal.
Shuyu Liu, Ph.D., is the new Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheat breeder in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences in Bryan-College Station. (Beth McClosky/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Shuyu Liu, Ph.D., right front, works as the new Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheat breeder with his team in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences greenhouse at Bryan-College Station. (Beth McClosky/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Climate change is a challenge the world must confront together. Though people from all walks of life and in all corners of the world will be affected by rising global temperatures and the ripple effects of such increases, the impact of climate change on the agricultural sector figures to be especially significant.
Farmers have been on the front lines in the fight against climate change for decades.
When storms strike and climate patterns shift, farmers must find ways to adapt or
potentially lose their livelihoods. Experts warn that the planet is warming at a pace that could prove dev astating.
For example, one assessment conducted under the World Climate Research Programme and published in 2020 in the Reviews of Geophysics concluded that the warming range of the planet will be between 2.6ºC and 3.9ºC.
Everyone must do their part in an effort to avoid the more drastic outcomes associated with climate change.
Steps farmers can take to combat climate change
Farmers can explore these ways to combat climate change as they look to protect their personal and financial futures.
Curtail methane emissions.
The European Environment Agency notes that capturing methane from manure is one way for farmers to reduce agriculture-related greenhouse gas emissions. The California Climate & Agriculture Networks notes that more than half of the state’s agricultural emissions come from livestock in the form of methane. The non-
profit organization Foodwise reports that holistic, pasture-based livestock management utilizing practices like rotational grazing can help mitigate methane emissions from livestock.
FARMER S
Emphasize efficient use of fertilizers.
The EEA recommends efficient use of fertilizers as another means to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that the greatest
efficiency typically comes from the first increment of added fertilizer/nutrients, with each additional increment thereafter resulting in lower efficiency. Making every effort to make the most of initial applications can save farmers money and reduce the impact on the environment.
Participate in and help promote local farmers markets.
Foodwise notes that food in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles before it ends up on
FARMER
consumers’ plates. Transporting foods that far contributes to more greenhouse gas emissions. Farm ers who can sell to local farmers markets can help reduce such emissions. Promoting those efforts via social media pages or other public platforms can increase consumer awareness of the availability of fresh, locally grown foods.
The challenges posed by climate change are not going away. Farmers can take various steps to overcome those challenges.
Growing Par tner ships
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