Border Security Statement

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Michelle Martin Owner/Editor michelle@theagmag.org (956) 330-8870

Al Benavides Graphic Designer (956) 492-6407

A Letter from the Editor

I am pretty sure I’ve written about timing before.. but here I am writing about it again. I feel God screaming at my fingers to type and my brain: so here we go…

We all know time doesn’t stop. The hours, days, years all go by and it doesn’t stop for anyone. And if we look at the BIG picture we can see how fast time goes. If you have children, I’m sure you ask yourself where the time went- however when your child was really small I’m sure you’re thinking the days and nights last forever. Someone once told me this, “the days are long, but the years are short.” I couldn’t agree more with that!

Recently, one of my best friends lost her nine year old son- and when she got the news as well as myself I feel that time literally stopped, but it didn’t. When something traumatic happens such as that, it’s a harsh reminder of how short and precious life is.

Life can end for you or a loved one in a blink of an eye. If you weren’t here tomorrow, but had the opportunity to look back on your last day of life- would you be proud of the way you lived it?

Life isn’t easy, but it’s worth living. Not everyday will be full of sunshine and rainbows- but everyday is a gift and God wants us to make the best of it.

Hug your loved ones tight, laugh when something is funny, cry when you’re sad, but most importantly see the beauty in every day.

In loving memory of IKE Beauchamp. July 2012-July 2021

In This Issue:

4. Border Security Statement 8. Texas A&M AgriLife Team Seeking Holy Grail of Tomatoes 10. AgriLife Extension Brings New Experience To Texas’ Organic Production Scene 12. Rio Grande Farmers Have A Unique Relationship With Irrigation Technology 18. Hidalgo Co. FSA is Accepting Emergency Conservation Program Applications 22. A Growing Future 28. Montana Trapp - State Show Grand Champion 32. Retail Beef Prices Remain High 37. A Letter From The Editor 44. FEATURED FARMER: Texas A&M AgriLife Celebrates The Legacy of Joe Townsend 46. History of Hidalgo County 4-H Foundation 50. Creation of Water Supply Corporations in the RGV 52. Journey Map 56. Why We Switched To Fall Calving 62. Are You Creating Your Own Drought? 68. Tall Tales Of A Tiny Texan

Cover photo by: Kelly Griggs

Year 7, Issue 42 July/August 2021. No part of this publication can be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ag Mag reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions or consequence arising from it. All correspondence to the publication become the property of Ag Mag.

Border Security Statement

BY WALTER NEGLEY, CHAIRMAN EMERITUS

South Texans’ Property Rights Association

As members of the public who are most affected by our dysfunctional border security system, we, South Texas landowners, land managers, and owners of agricultural operations, strongly urge the Biden Administration to consider unintended consequences in pursuing significant changes to, or cessation of, the previous administration’s Migrant Protection Procedures (MPP), otherwise known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy. In their efforts to change MPP to address humanitarian concerns, the new administration’s announced review of the policy has already played into the hands of the cartels, even though the official border shut-down under current COVID-19 protection policies remains in place. In keeping with their standard exploitation procedures, the cartels have used the announced MPP review process and the 100-day moratorium on deportations to give false hope to migrants, leading them to pay the cartels exorbitant fees to be illegally and dangerously smuggled across the border. The net result in South Texas has currently been a significant rise in cartel-driven trespassing, insecurity, and damage on open land. In the last few weeks, it has been widely reported that a caravan of 7,000 to 8,000 desperate but misguided Hondurans are clashing with law enforcement personnel in Guatemala, trying to push into the United States, though they will meet stiffer blockades in Mexico. There had been significant improvement over the past few years for landowners and agriculturalists in the South Texas region, both south and north of the interior Border Patrol Checkpoints. But in the last several months, the calm has again stirred to a mixture of daily and nightly incursions by smugglers with their victims, traversing by foot, but mostly by vehicle, through private property, causing human endangerment and high economic costs. There are even strong indications that the smugglers, known as “coyotes”, are now carrying firearms, which raises the threat level of possible deadly confrontations.

The illegal immigrants have increasingly put themselves into harm’s way, at the hands of the cartels, which will all too often lead to their financial exploitation, incarceration, abuse, injury, rape, and even death. Meanwhile, South

Texas landowners and managers are forced into an increasingly untenable situation of trying to keep themselves and their families safe, repairing damaged gates and fences due to law enforcement pursuits and “bailouts”, and reporting and preventing trespasser injury and death.

Our organization, the South Texans’ Property Rights Association, was formed in 2006 largely to address our broken immigration and border security system in a reasonable and rational way.

Over the years, we have served as a conduit among landowners, policy-makers, and state, Federal, and local law enforcement officials to improve the safety and economic stability for those living and working in rural South Texas. Since our inception, we have consistently advocated for:

- A secure and tightly managed border using adequate personnel, equipment and technology and physical barriers wherever appropriate.

- Providing expedited judicial review that negates the need for a “catch and release” policy.

- Establishing a functional guest worker program that securely provides needed workers, while ensuring that no American loses a job as a result.

- Retaining current law that prohibits

those illegally in the United States from obtaining citizenship, while providing a stringent process for persons who have not violated any other laws and are not public burdens to regularize their legal status.

- Working with Mexico and Central American countries to significantly decrease and prevent illegal immigration through financial and local law enforcement assistance (We would add a call for the new administration to build upon earlier attempts to allow asylum-seekers to apply in their own countries, thereby minimizing their personal jeopardy.)

We challenge the new administration and Congress to address the border security situation in a constructive way that will achieve the best possible outcome. Only a thoughtful and bold strategy, devoid of emotional and partisan political concerns, will yield such an outcome.

South Texans’ Property Rights Association (STPRA), serves as a unifying force for South Texas by bringing the power of information and rational discourse to many of the issues that face our region, our state, and our nation. STPRA strives to be a catalyst for finding solutions to some of the important challenges that exist for South Texas property owners. More information about STPRA can be accessed at STPRA.org.