Issue 48

A Letter from the Editor

Lost, and found again. How many of you have thought, “What am I doing??” Or how about, “I have no clue what I am doing.” I have had those thoughts many times throughout life – actually, more frequent ly than not. I sometimes feel like a chicken meandering through a busy street, trying not to get run over. How many of you feel, or have felt, like that?

Some days I feel I have it all together, and things are going great. Then there are days when nothing seems to go my way. I question if I am going down the right path. Do you ever second guess your life choices? I constantly second guess myself. Throughout the years, however, I have learned that life will go the way it’s intended – on its own time.

You see, if it is God’s plan it will work out. It doesn’t mean the path will be smooth. There will be speed bumps – big and small – along the way. It is our job, our responsibility, to remain –with our faith – on the path. Life throws curveballs. Sometimes we are put to the test, and, in turn, question ourselves. Self-doubt fills our minds. How we react can make or break us. Self-doubt can be the ultimate destroyer of our lives and journey. Self-doubt is natural and it happens. Life doesn’t come with a handbook describing how to do things correctly. Everyone’s life is different, and everyone has their own personal struggles.

Struggles that are big to me, might be small to you. How we handle our doubt is also differ ent. We can’t all handle things the same, but, the one thing that is the same with everyone is God has a plan for us all, and we ALL must keep our faith, even when it is hard to do. I have questioned my faith numerous times. I have questioned if I should even have faith, because I felt so lost that I could never return to the right path. I filled my mind with more negative thoughts and anxiety than most would find acceptable.

As the days go by and the more I think about it, I’ve realized I was the only person holding myself back, keeping myself lost. I finally understood that if what I was doing was part of God’s plan, it would work out the way it is supposed to. I needed to – and still need to – stop focusing on the past, or the future, and to just embrace the present.

Humans have a tendency to overthink, over analyze, and the list goes on. The big man upstairs gives us many opportunities when He feels we are prepared for it, and if we take it. I have had many great opportunities, but failed to take them because I was too in my head with my self doubt.

Give God your doubts, you are not supposed to have all the answers. Trust Him, and He will guide you. You just have to make room (and time) for Him to take the wheel. We all think we are superheroes at times, that we can do everything ourselves. In reality, that is not the case. Stop doubting yourself. Know that everything happens for a reason. If it is meant to be, it will be -- in God’s timing.

Matthew 5:13

LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

LORD is the stronghold of my life;

whom shall I be afraid?”

Michelle Martin

Al Benavides

492-6407

In This Issue:

Cotton Price Decline part of Complicated Economics

DR. Joe Paschal

The Sinking Shrimp Industry

Migrant Workers Continue to Remain a Vital Part of the U.S. Agricultural Landscape

You Can Take The Boy Off The Farm, but You Can’t Take The Farm Out Of The Boy

HEART OF TEXAS

USDA Opens People’s Garden Initiative

2022-23 Calendar of Events

La Muñeca Field Day 2022

Ag Labor: Changing Perception Means Changing What We Say

First Bale 2022

RECIPE: Quick Texas Wild Caught Shrimp & Sirloin Kabobs

Rainfall Across Texas Brings Relief, But Drought Remains

Texas Ranchers, Forage Producers Battling Fall Armyworms

Cover photo by: Aaron Teviño

Year 8, Issue 48 September/October 2022

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.

Ag Mag is published bi-monthly ©2022.

advertise in Ag Mag, call (956) 330-8870 or email michelle@theagmag.org

Cotton Price Decline Part of Complicated Economics

BY JOHN MILLER

T

he cotton market has lost a quarter of its value since summer. The Cotton Futures Versus US Dollar chart illustrates the abrupt drop in 2022 futures when in August traded $1.18 per pound for only the 3rd year since the 1950’s! Given the short crop, this decline is difficult to grasp. The NWS Drought Monitor is a backdrop for the US crop as the cotton belt has been in the grip of an historic drought with little reprieve. USDA lowered harvested acres considerably at summers end, but as the ICE Cotton Prices chart shows, futures have fallen from the upper 10 percent of the 5-year range to barely over average. Looking at December futures, its hard to miss the correlation between cotton and the Dollar. The dollar is at 20-year highs, trading at approximately 114 and making US cotton more expensive to foreign buyers.

December 22 Cotton Futures vs. US Dollar

From the USDA Cotton Planted versus Cotton Harvested chart for the past two decades, US farmers are expected to harvest only 40 percent of the crop. On those mere 8 million acres, production would fall to the multi-year low of 13.8 million bales. With supply dropping so sharply, it’s hard to understand how prices have fallen so quickly during harvest. The US Cotton Total Use chart tells

some of the story by showing that exports have been in decline since 2017. Increased world growths, short crops, competing fibers, and Covid measures have all played a part. That same chart shows the large single year drop from 2021 to 2022. With this, we start to understand what’s happened as traders are fearful of long-term demand prospects. But let’s preface the remainder of this discus sion by saying that prices could turn around with reversals in economic fortunes given the short nature of the US and world crops.

We can’t talk about prices without discussing inflation, the FEDs efforts to fight it with interest rates hikes, and unwanted effects of an increasing dollar and recession. Two weeks ago the US Central Bank raised federal funds rates by 0.75 percent resulting in asset liqui dation due to recession fears. The knee-jerk was higher short-term rates and lower long-term. The Central Bank will likely raise rates by a combined 1 percent before year end resulting in a higher dollar as investors seek a safety. In the Stone X Major Commodity Index one can understand why the fear of inflation and willingness to risk recession. This chart shows how inflation among agricultural, energy and metals have topped 22 year levels. And we need to be prepared for more! The FED “anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate”. Forecasts point to a 4.5 percent rate by year end and 5 percent next year. The US Treasury Yield chart shows Short-Term Treasury rates exceeding 4 percent. In uncertain times investors want to avoid long-term rate risk by using short-term. The two FOMC meetings left this year leaves one 75 basis-point hike followed by a 50 basis-point hike in the last. Of note, the next meeting on November 2nd, a week before the midterm elections.

The FED is clear that “Price stability is the responsibility of the Federal Reserve and serves as the bedrock of our economy”, and “In light of the high inflation we’re seeing, we think that we’ll need to bring our funds rate to a restrictive level and to keep it there for some time”. Chairman Powell says “Over coming months we’ll be looking for compelling evidence that inflation is moving down” and “At some point it will become appropriate to slow the pace of rate hikes” but “We will keep at it until the job is done”. “Higher interest rates, slower growth, and higher unemployment are all painful for the public. But not as painful as not bringing down inflation”. “We want to act aggressively now” and “keep acting until the job is done” The Fed isn’t alone (Europe is following along) and it’s no surprise to see updated economic forecasts showing a higher risk of a recession in coming years. Given the importance of cotton the Valley, we have to hope that favorable growing conditions, input price relief and a realization by the marketplace that 2023 will need a boost in cotton supplies.

Paschal Dr. Joe

BY: KYLIE SELLMAN INTERVIEWEE: JOE PASCHAL

I am from Corpus Christi, Texas. I went to Texas A&M Uni versity (‘77 BS and ‘82 MS in Animal Science and ‘86 PhD in Animal Breeding), and spent three years as the Director of Breed Improvement and Foreign Marketing for the American International Charolais Association from 1979 until 1982. My wife, Vickey, and I have two children; Dr. Helen A. Phillips (DVM) of Brenham and Robert R. Paschal, USDA, in Bryan.

• Do you have any agricultural background?

Yes. I was from an agricultural background of cattle and horses (and a few goats) in South Texas.

• What made you want to become an Agri-Life agent?

Good question. I had met Dr. Randall Grooms, an Extension Beef Cattle Specialist based in Overton, when I was working for the American International Charolais Association. I was very impressed with his ability to reach out and visit with people, and with the respect the ranchers had

Tell us a little about yourself.

to reach out and visit with people, and with the respect the ranchers had for his knowledge and expertise. I can’t say it was my only objective for employment after I finished my PhD since I was thinking of a teaching and research position, but my interaction with Randall made Extension a desirable employment option when it became available.

• What was your main focus as a livestock specialist?

I know that new specialists often have a hard time deciding what to focus on, and I did as well. I learned a lot from County Extension Agents in regards to what they needed from me (based on what their producers needed from Extension). Although I was trained and educated as an animal breeder (geneticist), I doubt that I have used that education or expertise more than 10% of my time. Nutrition is the number one topic requested, followed by information on animal health and reproduction, general management, and finally marketing and economics. Over the years, I have worked with other specialists in other disciplines (Range Management, Agriculture Economics, Forages, Wildlife, etc.) to address county-based educational issues for County Extension Agents. I have worked primarily in beef cattle but also horses, meat goats (before they were popular), and prickly pear cactus (as an emergency feed) to name a few areas. I also conducted the Ranch to Rail – South Steer Feeding Program for over 12 years where steers were fed to collect feeding, carcass, and financial data on their performance. Finally, as a result of my education and work in the Ranch to Rail Program, I began working with Brahman and other Bos indicus influenced breed associations such as the Beefmaster, Braford, Brangus, Santa Gertrudis, Simbrah, and Red Brangus, to help them promote genetic attributes of their breeds to Texas and the US. I assisted in collecting carcass data (including tender ness data) on a number of these breeds and in developing the Expect ed Progeny Differences (EPD) for Brahman cattle in the late 1990s. Brahman is still only one of two breeds that have an EPD for tender ness. Working with these breeds and others have allowed me to travel to 26 different countries to conduct demonstrations, present educational programs, and judge national/international events.

• What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

I am not sure I ever met any real challenges. County Extension Agents and their producers are the greatest folks to work for and with in all the world! Once you become known as someone with a little experience and common sense (and I had a little of both), time and travel funds to go and present in educational programs often became a little tight but we always were able to work it out.

• What changes have you seen throughout the years?

That’s a great question! When I was first employed there were no fax machines, no personal computers and much less cell phones or copiers in Extension. The first fax machine was in the Pecos County Extension Office, Zan Matthies was the County Extension Agent and Dr. Zerle Carpenter was the Director of the then Texas Agricultural Extension Service. When faxes were sent to our district office, they were sent to the county office and then carried to our district office a few blocks away. Zan also had the first personal computer and color monitor that I had seen in a county or our district office! Copiers and fax machines soon arrived and then cell phones in the early 1990s followed by email. Now there is social media too! Beside the electronic changes, Extension (and A&M), has employed a significant number of very qualified women to be County Extension Agents and Specialists. Having been married for 49 years to a woman in business I can relate to the difficulties women can have in balancing work and family and I can tell you they have been terrific! I don’t mean to be condescending, I am very pleased to be able to work with women, they are as knowledgeable and hardworking as anyone I know. Lastly, another major change has been the large number of folks who, for whatever reason, want to own cattle or more generally livestock. These operations may be retirees or folks that live in town and want livestock on a small piece of land. Many are without experience or

knowledge but have a great desire to “do it right” and improve the land as well. They are as great to work with as any established landowner!

• What do you feel your greatest accomplishment was?

Being appreciated and respected by my peers and producers that I have worked for and with over the years.

• What advice would you give to a younger agent?

Whether they are a younger specialist or a County Extension Agent, pick mentors you can go to for advice and guidance. You should have specialists and County Extension Agents as mentors. Pick some that vary in experience and interests. I had an excellent County Extension Agent mentor who once told me that “I worked for him” (specialist to agent) and I’ve never forgotten that after over 35 years. Subject matter specialists should work closely with County Extension Agents to make them successful in the eyes of their producers as well as the agency. I also worked closely with and emulated three specialists in my own Animal Science Program Unit. One was very people oriented, a second was more research oriented and the third was in the middle. Patterning myself after them was a huge part of my success.

• What is your favorite memory as an Agri-Life agent?

I don’t know that there is a favorite, being around my Animal Science specialist colleagues always generates special moments. After one meeting in Salado I was asked to give the late Dr. John McNeill, who at the time was our Beef Cattle Specialist in Amarillo, a ride to the airport in Austin on my way back to Corpus Christi. I was a young specialist and Dr. McNeill, an old hand (he would later become our Animal Science Department Head), and I was wondering what we were going to say to each other for two hours. As it turns out, he asked me questions about what I was doing which made me feel quite at ease, and I considered him one of my best mentors! Never judge a book by its cover.

• If you had the chance, would you do it all again?

Of course, in a heartbeat! In our office here in Corpus Christi, we have three new specialists in Range, Wildlife and Economics in addition to rel atively new ones in Agronomy and Entomology, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research has a new Animal Scientist at the Beeville Research Station. If I were even 5 years younger, I wouldn’t even consider leaving. I expect great things from this area of the state in the future!

• Why did you feel it was time to retire?

I had been thinking about it when COVID hit and then postponed it since the County Extension Agents were still in their offices and needed help. I did clean up my office considerably during that time. After covid, I was sort of revived but last March coming back from Ft. Worth, I called up my wife and told her I was done. Shortly after that I called up my Associate Department Head and good friend, Dr. Ron Gill, and told him the same thing. There’s a lot of reasons, being on the road was one but that was my choice.

• How are you planning to spend your retirement?

I plan to retire to the ranch. I have a place in Washington Co. where I run a few head of cattle, I feed a few steers and heifers at Graham Feedyard in Gonzales, and I have been approached by some purebred breeders to do some consulting work for them. I am mostly going to read and might write a book about beef cattle production and my experiences in Extension.

• Do you have anything else you would like to add?

I have enjoyed working for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. I didn’t plan to retire from it, I figured I would go on and do something else in the past 35 years or so, but I enjoyed my work and who I was working for – the County Extension Agents and their producers, they are truly the greatest!

The Sinking Shrimp Industry

BY KYLIE SELLMAN

The Texas Gulf Shrimp industry has seen a steady decline over the past 25 years, but this decline grows more rapidly with every passing year. On average, the Texas Gulf Shrimp industry produces and markets 40 million pounds of shrimp annually. With most boats tied up and an influx of imported shrimp, those numbers are down by 60% this year. The industry is in a freefall as it battles lack of commercial fishing permits, over regulation, a labor shortage and much more.

As the industry continues to decline, the United States is increasing the amount of shrimp that it imports. The amount of imported shrimp is expected to hit an all time high in 2022 with a projected 2 billion pounds entering the country from countries like China, Indonesia and Ecuador. Rising importation rates are flooding out the gulf shrimp market making it almost impossible for shrimpers to sell their prod uct. On average, imported shrimp costs the consum

er $5 less per pound. While gulf shrimp does come at a higher price than its competitor, the consumer receives a safer and higher quality product.

Being the 7th most regulated industry in the United States, Gulf Coast shrimpers are guaranteed to deliver a quality product, but imported shrimp cannot say the same. Out of the 2 billion pounds of shrimp that gets imported annually, only 1% of it actually gets tested by the FDA. A quarter of that 1% is red flagged for containing harmful chemicals that are banned in the United States, but the product still makes its way to the hands of consumers. Before a Gulf Coast shrimp can enter the market, it is faced with over 13,000 regulations causing the industry to be regulat ed out of business.

The Gulf Coast Shrimp industry had 5,000 commer cial fishing permits 25 years ago, but like the rest of the industry those numbers have since declined. Only 950 of those permits remain, and this year’s catastrophic season is expected to drop that number

closer to 500 permits.

Roughly 25% of fleets are attempting to fish this year leaving a majority of shrimp boats tied at the docks. The market for gulf shrimp is so low that about half the boats come in with shrimp that they are unable to sell. Costs to operate these boats have increased four times as much from 30 years ago, but the price of shrimp has not seen that same increase. Today, a pound of shrimp costs less than it did 30 years ago due to the suppression of the market caused by imported shrimp.

The labor shortage sweeping the nation does not stop at the commercial shrimp industry. Since the shrimpers cannot afford to send out a majority of the boats, many employees have chosen to leave the industry in hopes for more stability. The average age of a shrimp boat captain is in the early 60s. No new people are entering the industry which is causing it to gray.

The Texas Gulf Coast Shrimp industry has an aver age impact of half a billion dollars on the state annu ally, but rarely sees assistance from the government when needed. The government continues to impose costly regulations and only provides relief in the event of a natural disaster. These attributes make it difficult for mom-n-pop shrimping operations to stay in busi ness.

This season, a boat is estimated to lose $10,000 to $20,000 on their first time out. Big fleets of shrimpers are expected to overtake the industry since they are able to take more of these hits and be more efficient than smaller operations. It is difficult to be optimistic about an incline in the Texas Gulf Shrimp industry since there are no positive attributes or room for growth, but Texas shrimpers are hoping to at least level off the freefall that they are in. Product marketing could be a saving grace for the industry. Gulf shrimp are a niche, luxury product and should be marketed that way. The future of the shrimp industry can lie in product marketing, and the industry must band together to have their voices heard and hopefully stop the decline.

A special thank you to Andrea Hance for taking the time to spread awareness about the declining Texas Gulf Shrimp industry.

MIGRANT

BY SABRINA HOUSER AMAYA

t takes no time for Sabrina Houser Amaya to drop the words “compassionate” and passion when discussing H-2A workers and the Bracero Group. It’s not a teleprompter or cue cards that she’s read ing. It comes from experience and, maybe more importantly, with a desire to help both employers and guest workers’ needs.

The experience comes from when Amaya left her private practice as a psychologist, where she once oversaw the largest national behavioral health network, to join her parents in running the family winery, Dry Comal Creek Vineyards and Winery in New Braunfels, in 2007 until its sale in 2017.

“We had two H-2A workers with us for over 20 years, and my job was to complete the requisite paperwork every year,” Amaya said. “When the winery sold in 2017, I placed our two workers at a vineyard in the High Plains. From that point on, I’ve been securing H-2A workers for vineyards, ranchers, produce farms and packing houses, and nurseries and green house operators.”

The Bracero Group’s name comes from the 1942 Bracero Program, an agreement signed by the United States and Mexico that offered assurances to foreigners to do agricultur al work in the United States. The program ended, however, in 1964. That didn’t however, lessen the positive impact of foreign workers in the Ag industry.

“Migrant workers continue to remain a vital part of the U.S agricultural landscape, with the largest -scale being Mexican migration to the U.S. in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s can be traced to the Bracero Program,” Amaya said. “While the H-2A program in its current form solicits strong reactions from labor rights movements and farm owners over the program’s inefficiencies, it remains a popular program among employers seeking temporary agricultural workers. The H-2A program employs the largest number of temporary foreign workers in the United States.”

The Bracero Group acts as an agent to an employer, completing all the required U.S. and consulate petitions to secure the H-2A workers. The H-2A process is not difficult, Amaya said, but it is complicated with six or more government entities that conduct oversight over the H-2A program and have the power to bar or limit employers from hiring workers and/or prohibit a guest worker from entering.

“The Bracero Group’s mission is to unite both an employer’s and guest worker’s needs,” Amaya said. “We are compas sionate about the people we work with, offer professional and subject matter expertise and are passionate about helping employers and guest workers form a reliable, highly produc tive and legal seasonal workforce.”

Ideal employer candidates for H-2A workers encompasses a broad spectrum of the agricultural industry from small, family farms to large, corporate producers including: grain, wheat, sugarcane, and other row crop growers; fruit and vegetable growers; orchards and vineyards; organic and specialty ag-

ricultural businesses; wholesale nurseries and horticultural operations; Christmas tree farms; aquaculture (crawfish, catfish harvesting); farm labor contractors providing agricultur al services; cotton gins; livestock operations; and agricultural and horticultural associations.

“Personally, I believe the continuation of the H-2A program is vital to the U.S for several reasons, thus the impetus for the formation of The Bracero Group,” Amaya said. “It meets the needs of both employers and guest workers (and) provides vital labor resource to ensure our nation’s continued food supply (ranching and agriculture) as well continued growth in the horticulture and greenhouse industries.”

Amaya said there are several advantages to working through the H2A program including reliable, consistent and legal labor. Workers, once connected and placed with an employer, usually return annually to the same employer. maya said there are several advantages to working through the H2A program including reliable, consistent and legal labor. Workers, once connected and placed with an employer, usually return annu ally to the same employer. “Agricultural work includes some of the toughest and most important jobs in the world,” she said. “The H-2A program provides a way to link capable, re liable and legal labor to agricultural employers in need. H-2A workers typically return to the same employer year after year, providing essential help nationwide.”

On the legal side, farmers and ranchers can remove the obstacle, and stress, of developing and maintaining a reliable – and legal, work force through the program’s guarantees. “Studies show that a large portion of the U.S. agricultural workforce is unauthorized,” Amaya said. “As national security concerns increase, workers who have been involved with agri cultural work in the past may no longer be available. The H-2A program is a dependable and lawful avenue to ob tain legal workers.” The Bracero Group has helped hundreds of clients yearly with their business growth by using the H-2A program. A stable workforce provides employers the confi dence needed to focus and expand their operations when market demand increases.

“Our passion to help our clients drives us to know each employer and identify their individual needs. This handson approach maximizes benefits and minimizes potential liabilities of the H-2A program,” Amaya said. “The process is neither easy nor routine, but The Bracero Group has the experience, knowledge and commitment to customer service to help with a successful growing season using the H-2A program.”

For more information on how to participate with The Bracero Group and the H-2A program, make a Discovery Call to discuss your start-up options or to determine how The Bracero Group can garner you savings on current H-2A contracts, contact Sabrina Houser Amaya at sabrina@thebracerogroup.com, call (830) 456-2787 or visit www. thebracerogroup.com

Few experiences can beat an early fall Texas sunrise on the water. When I think of fall fishing in Port Mansfield, TX, I think of vibrant sunrises, pumpkin-colored schools of redfish and chunky trout. The months of September-November have the potential to be some of the best fishing of the year without the summertime heat. The lower the temperatures drop, the fewer anglers there are, creating more of an exclusive feeling while on the water. I don’t enjoy the cold, but the Fall/ Winter months of fishing bring a feeling of reset and regrowth for a bay that has been overworked during the summer months of fishing tourna ments and short-term summer anglers.

Fall in Texas is just a milder term for summer, making it one of the best seasons to head out. Temperatures are chilly in the morning but tend to warm up as soon as the sun starts peeking out. As a wader, I tend to focus more on water temperature than ambient temperature. Once water temperatures start hitting low 70’s (especially with lower ambient temperatures), it’s time to pull out the waders. The first of October has already brought water temperatures in the mid-70’s. The general con sensus on the docks is that we are in for a cold winter but only time will tell. I didn’t wear waders until mid-November last year and wet waded December 31st so really anything is possible during a south Texas winter.

E

Hrica irsch

A significant trend from the last few months is the amount of flounder being caught. I’ve been on very few trips since the Spring that didn’t include at least one flounder landed. It has been common to wade in any location with sandy bottoms and come up with a few flat fi without specifically targeting them. The numbers have been numer ous, but they have lacked in size. About 85% of the 100 or so flounder we’ve caught this year have been in the 1.5- 3-pound range. We’ve had a handful over 4 pounds and the heaviest one was caught by Leslie Gonzalez (pictured) at around 4.5 pounds within the last few weeks. The predictions making the rounds on flounder next year is to ex see a decrease in numbers but possibly an increase in size. Of course we only hope the numbers increase in all fish, but this has been with flounder I’m told with the total caught rising and then fal down the following year.

Redfish can still be found in schools and if you’re lucky, you’ll come across bull reds heading out to the deeper waters. Port Mansfield is perfect for finding reds congregated on large flats located next to chan nels which they will head towards in the coming weeks. Try throwing a Mansfield Knocker topwater during the early morning warmer, light wind days if the reds are up shallow and you might see some massive blowups. Although you may have to work around cold fronts to find reds on the flats and shallows, catching reds does not slow down this time of year. Redfish can often be found in muddy bottoms or near shell/ oyster beds as the temperatures drop so look for this type of floor when

deciding where to fish. Any avid angler knows that we are also ap proaching prime trout time. The past two years there was considerable concern for the trout population due to the freeze in the early part of 2021 but thankfully we have seen some improvement. Though we may not find the number of quality trout we found prior, we are catch ing them in large numbers and all sizes. I’m not sure if it’s due to the vast amounts of bait out there but most of the trout are healthy and fat, a good sign for the future. Many anglers switch their bait of choice when looking for big trout to suspending baits or slow sinking baits like Corkys as the weather cools down, but I like to stick with KWigglers soft plastics. I choose which KWigglers lure to use based on water depth and the profile I want to present to the fish. More often than not during the colder days, a ball tail will be the bait of choice because it drops nicely to the bottom and is easier to manipulate its movement in the lower water column, hopefully catching the fish’s attention enough to make it react if it’s not interested in feeding. No matter the lure used, there is nothing quite like landing a big trout. I will be one of the many anglers this winter on the search for a big one, enduring all kinds of winter weather for that one special catch.

Port Mansfield truly has some year-round world class fishing. I often get asked when the best time to fish is and my answer is always the same, there is no bad time to fish in the Lower Laguna Madre. Redfish and trout can be caught during all months if you are willing to confront the elements and dress appropriately. If you are looking to get out on the water soon to take advantage of the fall weather or want to test your angling skills in the winter, head over to twilightcharters.com to book a trip. There’s plenty of good fishing ahead and you might just catch your new personal best.

Erica Hirsch

Ericarae09 on Instagram Twilightcharters.com

“You can take the boy off the farm, but you cannot take the farm out of the boy.”

BY JEFF BREKKEN

No truer words have been spoken.

Hey there, I am Jeff Brekken, owner of Iconic HR. I grew up on a farm in Northwest Minnesota, farming along side my grandfather and father. We grew sugar beets, sunflowers, wheat, and barley. My grandfather was the first chairman of the board for American Crystal Sugar Company.

At the age of 9, I was solely operating a Case IH 4366, along with IH-1466, 1066, 806, and more…. We were the first in the Red River Valley (MN/ND) of sugar beet farmers to own and operate the first 6-row beet lifter from PARMA Man ufacturing. Over the years, I have spent thousands of hours on farming equipment.

So why am I here, writing for AgMag? Since my family got out of farming in 1985 (like many farmers in the mid ’80s), I love to help on any farm I visit. A few years ago, I was able to take on 18-hour shifts, driving semi for sugar beet harvest. No matter the task at hand, I am all in.

I have a passion for the farming industry and want to give back. I have spent the last 25 years recruiting for other businesses and now have my own human resources company to apply this knowledge to you. I can find the right team member for your KEY roles.

A ‘well-oiled machine’ starts with leadership, down to the right people on your team. Your business will run efficiently with high employee retention, leading to greater profits. I want to keep you safe and free of unnec essary lawsuits, grievances, and employee issues, past or present. Let Iconic HR help with hiring and onboarding so you can focus on the farm!

I miss all aspects of the farm. From the first tractor in the field for Spring to the Fall harvest rush to beat the snow and frost. Therefore, one of my life goals is to protect farmers and their land, so no boy has to be taken off the farm.

Since 1985, there have been roughly 22,000 labor laws changed or enacted on the FEDERAL level itself! Not to mention any new or updated state laws. That is A LOT to manage if you are a small business.

One question I received recently was, “What if I border another state and farm in different states?” The labor laws of the state you are currently performing the work prevail. Say you farm 5,000 acres. 2,200 is in the state where you live, and 2,800 is in a state 6 miles away. If you are harvesting for 2-3 weeks on those 2,800 acres, are you properly paying your overtime? Each state varies when it comes to this. Agriculture is like the weather, just wait 24 hours, and it will change. The same is true for HR. It is always changing depending on new laws we must abide by. I want to be your voice for this. It only takes ONE bad hire or disgruntled employee for your operation to take a hit.

In each new issue of AgMag, I will write about everything human relations to help your business. Hot topics, trending

news, tidbits of advice, and will answer your submitted ques tions. I am here for the agricultural community to bring you money-saving items that will help the administration side of your business run like a well-oiled machine.

Please submit your questions to be published and answered in my next article to Jeff@ myIconicHR.com.

Thank you all, have a VERY safe and productive fall harvest!

Jeff Brekken Iconic HR

HEART OF TEXAS:

FARMING FOCUSED ON CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, DEVELOPMENT, AND INNOVATION

BY DEE ANN LITTLEFIELD, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist

Andrew Benson built his first chicken coop at 14 years old, starting off with a respectable 12 chickens. By 18 years old, he’d built his own mobile chicken coops (for an ever-growing number of chickens) when he realized he could move the flock over the grass to graze, allowing for better grass management and a healthier diet for the birds. “I really love chick ens. I started selling eggs at the farmers market and then got a couple restaurants and started knocking on doors of retail stores,” says Andrew, wearing the smile of a confident young entrepreneur, while sporting a playful button up collar shirt covered in a bright green and red watermelon pattern.

Not only does Andrew wear his personality and charm on his sleeve, so does the breathtaking plot of land otherwise known as Heart of Texas. Four years and700 chickens later, Andrew and his mom, Shannon, work together to run the award-winning farm in Lorena, Texas. Not just a home to laying hens, the land now encompasses a healthy herd of cross-bred Angus cattle, a blackberry U-Pick program, and a pollinator planting on a cropland field.

“People still remember me from when I was younger and so I’ll have customers for life,” says Andrew, who is currently exploring the possibility of expanding from Waco to sell his eggs. It’s clear he’s right where he wants to be, standing in front of an assemblage of blackberry cultivars on his family’s property, looking forward to a bright future in agriculture. While it may sound as though everything’s happened in a whirlwind, it’s because it has, however not without a lot of forethought and hard work. The diligent mom and son team began to navigate best practices and conservation methods, working closely with the USDA Natural Resourc es Conservation Service (NRCS) to find opportunities that would work for them. Specifically, they were interested in finding long-term solutions to grow their farm in the most sustainable and productive way possible. “My son and I have worked on growing a farm,” says Shannon. “We started with the chickens and added cattle, and then he decided that he wanted to do blackberries, so we’ve just been very busy trying to figure out how to make everything work together—have a symbiotic relation ship.” On how she became involved with NRCS, Shannon explains that she was turned onto them after attending a women’s farmers conference who recommended she go to the NRCS and talk to them about her goals for the farm. “With their expertise and knowledge, we were able to do what’s best for the soil here and for the animals and so I’m so happy that we got to know them.”

Family Farming from the Ground Up

Andrew’s dad, Mark Benson, inherited the land, now known as Heart of Texas Farms, from his family and since moving in back in 2013, they have added new plots with each passing year. A pilot for United Airlines, Mark supports Shannon and Andrew’s operation by serving as the resi-

dent “fix it” guy. He also had a hand in helping Andrew with the construction of the mobile chicken coops.

Their daughter, Annalise, is a culinary student who is also studying to be a pilot. She enjoys putting her culinary skills to work, baking and cooking with fresh eggs from the farm. Annalise also helps Shannon with the cattle. All of this together makes for a full-family operation. As Shannon puts it, “Everybody has a role.” So far as how Andrew developed an interest in farming, Shannon explains that she and her husband, Mark, homeschooled him. Part of the style they used for his education involved encouraging their son to find skills and subject matters that he was passionate about. When Andrew was younger, he’d worked for a man in town who’d had a blackberry orchard. Her son came home one day an nouncing, “This is what I want to do.” A few years later, he went online to order some twigs from Arkansas, planted those in the ground, and hoped for the best. “We didn’t know anything at that point. We just hoped they would take off.” Three years later, they opened it up to the public and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, they run a booming U-Pick blackberry operation, where visitors can come to their property in early summer and pick pounds of black berries for an affordable price. Shannon says one of their better years to date yielded 250 lbs. of blackberries.

Yielding NRCS Partnership Benefits

Despite their continuing success with the chickens, cattle, and blackber ries, Shannon admits to wondering where they’d be, had they spoken with NRCS even earlier than they did, admitting that at the start of things, they had no idea what they were doing. “There needs to be a playbook when you start a farm that says, ‘go here first’ because when we started the blackberries we just said, ‘we’ll just figure it out as we go,’ but now I wish we’d known about NRCS at that point before we even put the first plant in the ground, so they could advise us.” Andrew feels the same way, mentioning how he would have done things differently, had they known more. One of those changes would have been to run the chickens on the blackberry plots before they’d been planted, allowing the chickens to help fertilize that soil. Instead, they were battling difficult growing conditions from the start. When they did finally get into contact with NRCS, though, it was a game changer. Clete Vanderburg, the District Conservation with the NRCS office in McLennan County, was their primary contact. “We started out with the Bensons with a phone call asking about drain age issues they were having with their blackberries,” he recalls. Upon figuring out a solution to their problem, he says his involvement was kind of “a snowball effect.” They met the Bensons and rode around the entire

farm, talking about their hopes and dreams for the farm, and what they wanted to do and incorporate. After having assessed their needs during the tour, Vanderburg determined that the agency’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) program would work well for Shannon and Andrew. Right away, this would help to remove some of their old fencing on the property and replace it with new fencing. “And that started the conversation about livestock water. So, we found a spot for the livestock pond, which was worked in with the EQIP program. And then we started talking about grasses.” He and the NRCS returned to help the Bensons with the cross fencing for rotational grazing with the cattle, as well as with adding in a pond in the pastures for a water source for the livestock.

Going Mobile

After Andrew built his first chicken coop, he realized he wanted some thing that could move the chickens over the grass to graze, providing them with great nutrients beyond just feeding them chicken feed every day. Having mobility also allowed for better fertilization, pest control, and grass management, all with less clean up! “It’s better for the grass and keeps everything healthier. It’s really good for the birds and the people,” he says. Shannon points out where the coops are now, the grass used to be thin. “It looked pretty bad, there were lots of weeds. Just your general unkempt pasture. And then, over the years, it’s just really gotten green and thick and lush. So, we think it’s been a huge benefit.” Andrew’s interest in the unique chicken coop was also something relatively new for their NRCS connections. “Mobile chicken coops were something new that I hadn’t seen before,” says Vanderburg. He was impressed to witness an 18-year-old put together something so innovative. He learned a lot by observing how the coops incorporated with the rotational grazing of the chickens; and how coops have subsequently benefited the Bermu dagrass on that portion of land where they’ve rotated the chickens. Also impressive to Vanderburg was the fact that the Bensons did not use any pesticides or fertilizer. Rather, they’ve kept it all natural with the chickens.

“The Heart of Texas work ethic is extremely contagious. Especially when you come to the farm to visit. Meeting Andrew, Shannon, the entire fam ily. Just seeing them out on the farm, working and learning by doing, is something that makes you feel good when you go back to the office.” Up to four 720 square-foot mobile chicken coops now, Andrew assigns one coop per age group of chickens. For example, chicks, a few months old, a few years old, and oldest. After spending some time figuring out what the coops were missing, he’s added on a few features with the help of his dad, including a solar-powered door on the side of the coop that opens and closes with the sun, so the chickens can go in and out during the day, but remain safe inside at night; a sprayer system that goes across the interior top of the coop to manage temperature during the summer by misting the chickens; and a water bowl system along the in terior sides of the coops, giving the chickens water spickets to drink from. He also installed roll out nesting boxes, which means when the chickens lay the eggs, they roll up into a tray preventing the birds from stepping on them, keeping them cleaner and easier for processing. The coops are moved by hitching to the tractor with chains, where they can be easily dragged a few feet forward to the next spot. “I’d like to grow to be as big as I can be, and if I can find good people to work with me and have a good team, I could probably have maybe 10,000 to 15,000 chickens one day. You never know,” says, Andrew. “That’s the goal.”

His vision includes someday having chickens out in the cow pastures to do pasture rotation and help to improve the soil health out there. “It’d be beneficial to the other animals, too.”

Diversity as a Means of Sustainability and Growth

Not satisfied with being a one-chicken show, mom, Shannon, has been happy to support her son and his dreams, constantly working with him to diversify their farm and the agriculture produced. So, while Andrew is the full-time operator of the poultry and U-Pick Blackberry side of the farm, Shannon, runs a handful of black angus cattle, which she processes right at the farm, selling the cuts herself. She loves working with the cows and is happy managing a small herd. “The cattle herd has fluctuated up

and down. It’s a little low right now, but we’re still working on the grass, waiting for it to come back, and once it increases, then we can increase the cattle herd,” she says. “The idea is to not ever have to bale.” She uses an integrated application of livestock, focusing on a local customer base for sales. “We sell meat by the pound,” says Sharon, who explains that she also takes any extra to auctions. In addition to the cattle, Heart of Texas is home to a few roaming donkeys who protect the cattle out on the pastures, quick to run after and chase out coyotes and bobcats, the primary threats in the region. Closer to the house, and the chickens, they have Cupcake, a purebred Great Pyrenees, to patrol the property.

The Bees Are Back!

The Benson family also maintains pastures of native grasses and pollina tor plants, improving their soil and bio-diversity health on the property. “I thought I knew what I wanted to plant, and they told me ‘No that’s prob ably not going to be the best for you,’ and so I was glad they were able to educate me on what needed to be planted. They’ve been a huge help,” Shannon says of the guidance she’s received from the NRCS.

While the first application was for a smaller plot of pollinators for blackber ries, they have since planted nearly 33 acres of pollinators, with the help of the NRCS. “The pollinator mix, and then the high density of native mix, being 12 species, to be planted out here on not only 60-acres, but their additional 120-acres at the house, has been extremely beneficial to them with their rotation on their cattle operation,” says Vanderburg. The pollinators, in turn also increased the insect count and the butterfly and bee sightings! “I love to see the bugs and the bees and the butterflies flying around. I’m glad we were able to bring that back to the land,” says Shannon.

Mentoring the Mentor

Named 2020 Conservation Farmer of the Year by USDA NRCS Texas Area 5, possibly what’s most impressive about this fast-growing mom-son operation borne out of homeschooling and a love for chickens is that the Heart of Texas now serves as a base for NRCS employee training. “Heart of Texas has been one of those producers that I definitely can send people to learn,” says Vanderburg. It’s no surprise then the agency now points new employees to the Heart of Texas as a mentor property, so they can learn about their practices and their innovation with the mobile chicken coops. “We were part of the Corsicana resource team through the NRCS, which is six counties of employees. We were able to have the entire team come out and drive around to look at the operation. We had a team field day where it was extremely beneficial because we had new employees who had never seen an operation like this. We also had employees that had been working for 20 plus years that had never seen an operation like this,” says Vanderburg.

So, What’s Next on the Horizon?

When asked what their plan is next, Shannon laughs. “You can’t stop Andrew. He’s just going to do what he wants to do,” she says, in admiration of her son’s drive and commitment to the farm they work together. “He’s only 20. I don’t know where he’s going to go next. Who knows? He wants to go bigger and better and he’s figuring that out along the way.”

One thing’s for sure. Andrew has no plans of leaving Heart of Texas anytime soon, with its soft calming breezes, surrounded by acres of lush green rolling pastures, dotted with arrays of flowers showing off every color in the rainbow. “I really like the farm because it’s a place to come back to where you can really enjoy yourself and not have to worry about all the stresses outside of farm life. It really is peaceful here,” he says.

Looking 10 years ahead, Andrew says he hopes to be at a point where he has a system built, enabling him to have all kinds of mobile coop houses and over 10,000 chickens. He’d like to see his business expand beyond the Waco area. “I want a lot of people all over Texas to experi ence the eggs that we produce here.”

USDA Opens People’s Garden Initiative Nationwide

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding its People’s Garden Initiative to include eligible gardens nationwide. School gardens, community gardens, urban farms, and smallscale agriculture projects in rural, suburban, and urban areas can be recognized as a “People’s Garden” if they register on the USDA website and meet criteria including benefitting the community, working collaboratively, incorporating conser vation practices, and educating the public. Affiliate People’s Garden locations will be indicated on a map on the USDA website, featured in USDA communications, and provided with a People’s Garden sign.

“We inaugurated the first Texas-based People’s Garden in Dallas Sept. 8, 2022, and are now anxious to welcome gardens statewide to join us in the People’s Garden effort and all it represents,” said Kristy Oates, State Conserva tionist in Texas. “I know local gardens across our great state share USDA’s goals of building more diversified and resilient local food systems, empowering our communities to come together around expanding access to healthy food, address ing climate change and advancing equity.”

About People’s Gardens

USDA originally launched the People’s Garden Initiative in 2009. It’s named for the “People’s Department,” former President Abraham Lincoln’s nickname for USDA, which was established during his presidency in 1862.

People’s Gardens grow fresh, healthy food and support resilient, local food systems; teach people how to garden using conservation practices; nurture habitat for pollinators and wildlife and create greenspace for neighbors.

“We encourage existing gardens and new gardens to join the movement,” said Kelly Adkins, State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency in Texas. “Growing local food benefits local communities in so many ways, and we offer technical resources to help. Also, it’s a great way to connect with your local USDA team members.”

“We are working to increase urban and suburban agriculture because it plays a tremendously important role in growing fresh, healthy produce locally, while also providing jobs, beautifying neighborhoods, and offering residents access

to fresh, healthy food in areas where grocery stores are scarce,” said Oates.

How to Register

To learn more about People’s Garden or to register one, visit the People’s Garden webpage at.usda.gov/peoplesgarden. The location and information on each garden will be displayed on a map. USDA will send a “People’s Gar den” sign to each garden and invite continued engagement through photos and information sharing. Gardens on federal property, such as USDA offices, are required to donate pro duce. We invite these gardens to report how much is being donated.

To be eligible, gardens are recognized if they:

• Benefit the community by providing food, green space, wildlife habitat, education space.

• Are a collaborative effort. This can include groups working together with USDA agencies, food banks, after school pro grams, Girl Scouts, Master Gardeners, conservation districts, etc.

• Incorporate conservation management

practices, such as using native plant species, rain barrels, integrated pest management, xeriscaping.

• Educate the public about sustainable gardening practices and the importance of local, diverse, and resilient food systems providing healthy food for the community.

New gardens will join the People’s Garden at USDA head quarters in Washington, D.C. and 17 other flagship gardens established earlier this year.

More Information

The People’s Garden Initiative is part of USDA’s broader efforts to advance equity, support local and regional food systems and access to food, and encourage use of conservation and climate-smart practices.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many posi tive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transform ing America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communi ties, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more represen tative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.

TEXAS AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER SID MILLER MEETS WITH MEXICAN ECONOMIC MINISTER TO SAVE PLANNED RAIL EXPANSION THROUGH TEXAS

AUSTIN- Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller met with Mexican Economic Minister Tatiana Clouthier Carril lo last week via video conference to urge the Mexican government to reconsider their plan to reroute the T-MEC Corridor rail and port expansion away from Texas. This new rail line will connect the Mexican port of Mazatlán to the Canadian city of Winnipeg and will create new economic opportunities for cities on the route. Originally, the route was expected to pass through Laredo.

In early May, Minister Clouthier announced that the T-MEC Corridor would take an indirect path to go through Santa Teresa, New Mexico instead of Texas after Governor Greg Abbott ordered additional truck inspections along the Texas-Mexico border. The order resulted in over $4 billion in economic losses for both U.S. and Mexican busi nesses due to massive delays and loss of produce caused by the Governor’s action. Commissioner Miller urged that the original plan with routes through Texas be reconsidered. “Texas has the number one port for trade in the United States in Laredo, followed by Pharr and Eagle Pass,” Miller stated. “This will have a long-term effect on trade and the revised plan will be much more costly with far-reaching economic and logistic impacts.”

Miller emphasized the positive relationship Texas has with Mexico through agriculture at the four export facilities managed by the Texas Department of Agriculture. “We have a great working relationship at the border, and I still believe that the best path for goods from both countries is through Texas due to our existing infrastructure for both rail and truck transport,” Miller said. Minister Clouthier was very positive during the meeting, expressing that she understood Miller’s reasoning and that she really appreciated having the conversation, emphasizing that Texas and Mexico should be talking. Miller concurred with Clouthier on the success of the meeting.

“Both of us agreed this was a good first step and that we need to continue talking. I appreciate the Economic Minis ter’s time and attention to this very serious issue. There is much more to be discussed and I know we can demon strate the advantages of the Texas route for both countries.” “These decisions will impact the United States and Mexico long after any government official currently serving leaves office. Both nations must get this right,” Miller said. Miller plans to hold additional meetings in Texas and Mexico to further advocate for the T-MEC Corridor to be routed through Texas.

5 Conservation Needs to be Met in Farm Bill 2023

BY JENNA HOFFMAN

More than 140 million acres of farmland in the U.S. are currently receiving conservation-related financial and techni cal assistance from the federal government, according to an analysis from the Farm Bureau. In preparation for farm bill 2023, the House Ag Committee met on Tuesday to “hear how our conservation programs are currently working for producers, how investments in conservation programs are addressing our resource needs, and how these programs can be utilized to help address the climate crisis,” according to Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), subcommittee chair.

Of all the testimony heard on Tuesday, five farm bill conserva tion needs echoed throughout the room more than once:

1. Simplified application processes

2. Technical assistance

3. Effective planning and implementation

4. Review of conservation cost share rates

5. Expand opportunities for early adopters

Michael Crowder, National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) president, opened the testimony floor to outline that “voluntary, locally led, incentive-based conservation works,” but needs more effort.

“To be successful, producers need a comprehensive suite of conservation systems and practices,” he says. “[There’s] a desire for Congress to examine conservation practice payment rates. With rising costs of labor and inputs, we need to ensure that producers are compensated fairly.” National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) President Nicole Berg echoed Crowder, saying conservation programs are vastly oversub scribed and underfunded.

After a review of wheat growers NRCS programs between 2018 and 2021, Berg says her team found that wheat growers entered over 7,500 contracts, but, over the same period, there were 5,000 applications that were not funded by NRCS. Conservation Limited by USDA Shayne Wiese, Iowa cattleman, says he’s experienced this cost-share funding application and denial firsthand, and he wasn’t impressed. “Recently, I applied to receive EQIP cost-share funding but after months of waiting, I gave up and completed a water infrastructure project without assistance from USDA,” says Wiese.

Wiese says his ranch has many opportunities to improve the land and environment, but USDA’s additional hurdles limit upgrades while, simultaneously, stopping USDA from recording producer’s environmental improvements.“Noticing that a significant number of producers on the ground want to participate and can’t is a good call to action for us in the future,” Spanberger says.

Will there be Meaningful Changes in Conservation?

While these testimonies plead for change and inclusivity, House Ag’s Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), fears the farm bill conser vation title will not meet producer needs unless it’s penned in red ink.

“I hope in the next Congress we can truly evaluate the funding needs for these programs paired with an evaluation of the ability to effectively and judiciously deliver these funds to farmers,” Thompson says. “I don’t feel bound by the amount of funding or the specific program allocation passed in the partisan IRA bill,” Thompson says. Committee members agree they would like to support staffing for NRCS in addition to a simpler application process for producers.

La MuñecaFIELD DAY 2022

Climate projects approved in Texas, set to receive federal funds

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the first pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportu nity.

“There is strong and growing interest in the private sector and among consumers for food that is grown in a climate-friendly way,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said. “USDA is delivering on our promise to build and expand these market opportunities for American agriculture and be global leaders in climate-smart agricultural production. This effort will increase the competitive advantage of U.S. agriculture both domestically and internationally, build wealth that stays in rural communities and support a diverse range of producers and operation types.”

The federal projects will expand markets for climate-smart com modities, leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climatesmart commodity production and provide direct, meaning ful benefits to production agriculture, including for small and underserved producers. Project partners will be tasked with providing technical and financial assistance to producers to implement climate-smart production practices on a voluntary basis on working lands.

Several projects will be conducted in Texas.

Texas A&M AgriLife Research will lead the Texas Climate-Smart Initiative, which is a five-year multi-commodity project to transition Texas’ agricultural sector to climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices and develop new markets for climate-smart commodities. The commodities included in the $65 million project are citrus, cotton, corn, dairy, forestry, grapes, hemp, olives, pecans, rice, sorghum, vegetables and wheat.

AgriLife also will serve as a major contributor to the following four partnership projects with Texas components.

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol will lead the U.S. Climate-Smart Cotton Program. This project, with potential funding up to $90 million, will build markets for climate-smart cotton and aid more than 1,000 cotton farmers, including historically underserved cotton farmers, across the country.

ECOM USA, LLC will lead the Climate-Smart Cotton through a

Sustainable & Innovative Supply Chain Approach. This project, with potential funding of $30 million, will strive to implement methods to restore soil and ecosystem health in cotton produc tion through regenerative farming and best practices based on specific regions and needs.

The Climate-Smart Beef and Bison Commodities project will be led by South Dakota State University. This project, with potential funding up to $80 million, will create stronger market opportunities for beef and bison producers, educate producers on practices best suited for their operations and manage largescale data.

National Sorghum Producers Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Project, led by National Sorghum Producers Association, will receive up to $65 million. The project plans to implement climate-smart production practices across hundreds of thousands of acres of sorghum working lands over a fiveyear period, with the goal to reduce hundreds of millions of pounds of carbon emissions and develop markets for sorghum as a climate-smart commodity.

Additional projects by other companies and organizations are also set to have a Texas component for alfalfa, soybeans, peanuts and rice.

Project partners will be tasked with providing technical and financial assistance to producers to implement climate-smart production practices on a voluntary basis on working lands.

For a comprehensive listing of projects and participating organizations included, visit usda.gov/climate-solutions/ climate-smart-commodities/projects.

Crop Marketing Programs

Fixed Price Acreage Contract

Standard acreage contract with the commodity

fixed at the time the contract

best option to eliminate

market

production

Price and acres fixed at contracting

No volume

Producer agrees to sell

specified acreage

Market Price New Acreage Contract

contract with a market price

Act of

clause

more control

price

with

producer’s option,

to

Acres fixed at contracting

No volume guarantee

fixed

between

harvest

Producer agrees to sell 100% of production from a specified acreage

Standard Act of

Cash Bid

Modeled after the traditional grain cash bid system, this provides the producer

most flexibility in how and when to market the crop.

Price fixed in accordance with current bid

No acre guarantee

Volume fixed

Producer agrees to deliver fixed volume at fixed price

accordance with

delivery period

No Act of God Clause, but possible to extend

period or roll- over contract to following crop year

fee to be determined

Planting Seed Programs

Seed Price

Seed Financing

payment at the time

harvest

applicable

purchased

Seed Treatment Replant Policy

Ag Labor: Changing perception means changing what we say (part 1)

Anyone living with a significant other knows that what you say and how you say something is very important. Messaging can be the difference between a fight, or actually solving the problem. I am not going to begin to dole out relationship advice, but I am going to say that those of us in agriculture need to start thinking like that when we talk about our issues to people who have no background in agriculture. Starting with one of the biggest issues for the fruit and vegetable industry, and that’s labor. More accurately, the issue of the shortage of agricultural laborers in this country and how to address that issue.

When our industry talks about agricultural labor, we often do so using technical or specific industry terms. “H2A is burdensome, expensive and full of pitfalls.” Or “The US agriculture workforce is aging out, with the average age at 55 years old.” Those points mean so little to the everyday American, and every day we see the impact of that failed messaging. So many other issues have come and gone, bills are passed into law by Congress, but ag labor con tinues to get skipped over. It gets caught-up in the larger Immigration debate, or we allow other groups to mislabel our industry, or a bill that might solve our problems intent.

Most importantly though, the average American could not tell you the first thing about Ag Labor. Remember how the way a message is worded or delivered is the difference in having an impact? This is clearly an issue where the message has failed. So, what happens? Congress after Con gress fails to reach consensus and our “nuanced” issue gets skipped over. Again, and again, and again. Year after year. For nearly one hundred years dating back to the first Bracero program in 1917, Congress has passed on the opportunity to provide meaningful agricultural labor reform.

The fresh produce industry has put a king’s fortune in

time, effort and resources into campaigns to influence decision makers in Washington DC on this topic, and we have barely moved the needle.

Perhaps where we failed was in recruiting the voters. The very people who can influence elections and elected officials, simply by making the topic… conversational. Our industry has failed to take the time to make sure our neighbors understood the issue and could talk about it without being experts in this arena.

I was reminded of this recently at a press conference on the topic of agricultural labor. The room had a few farmers, but it was mostly non-agriculture. There were restaurant owners, local city chambers, EDCs and elected officials. Financial sector, political sector and other organizations concerned with labor shortages. They understood the message, “No workers mean higher food prices.” Easy. However, they struggled to grasp the origins of our issues around labor shortages and why the issue itself lingered for so many years unresolved. As we spent the next few minutes speaking, it quickly became apparent to these non-agriculture folks that we were talking to them the same way we would speak to others who worked in agri culture.

This group shared their concern and the challenge of having to recommunicate our message full of its technical nuances to others, especially in such a way that the issue did not get entangled with topics like immigration or am nesty. Not an easy task for someone who does not know the ins-and-outs. So how could we expect this group of non-agriculture, community leaders to be our advocates, if we could not explain to them the issue in a few points?

They pointed out that like marketing anything else, agriculture (us) needed to present this issue differently. We needed to position the difficulties and our “ask” in a way that the everyday Americans could speak about,

without getting caught up in the technical aspects. That group challenged us to transform the slogan from that day’s press conference – “No workers mean higher food prices” – into something more. In essence, they wanted a few simple, impactful points in everyday English that would: communicate what the problem was, how it impacted Americans, and what needed to be fixed.

What was more, was that as the group started discuss ing how agriculture could reposition our “marketing” on the issue, they were actually becoming advocates for our issue. The discussion quickly flew around the room, and it was apparent that these community leaders were start ing to understand the issue and even having constructive dialogue about how they could further share this message. It was the success of the education on a topic for which we had hoped!

Now, let me set the table for expectations before I go further. Marketing this issue differently is not going to get a bill passed tomorrow or in the next week.

However, if the fresh produce industry can make Ag Labor a topic everyday Americans with absolutely no agriculture background could not only understand but could empa thize with and discuss, then we would have a chance to make actual change.

At the very least, when others in the industry make visits to Washington DC, or even to their local city hall, it would save the first 15-20mins of that visit being used to educate on ag labor before getting into fixing the issue.

The good news though is that now is the time to really push hard on finding solutions for agriculture labor reform. Food prices are climbing in the face of a projected mul tiyear inflationary period. With inflation and rising input costs, the U.S. consumer is going to see food prices go even higher.

Today’s produce companies are citing a general increase of 22-23% to their operating expenses, and meanwhile fresh produce prices have increased roughly 10% at the stores (early September 2022). That means there is potentially another 12-13% in increases if nothing else changes, just to keep up with inflation.

And if labor gets worse, which it likely will, expect those figures and food costs to go higher. Reforming our im migration system through legislation can help moderate those increases by addressing the shortage of agriculture workers in this country. This means our issue fits along side a larger national concern that is already making headlines and could easily become part of that conversa tion.

I will not profess to be a marketing expert, but if the fresh produce industry wants a better mechanism for bringing foreign workers to the U.S. then the way that message is delivered must change. The issue and benefits have to be

clear to the average American who has no understanding of agriculture. It has to be simplified and concise enough that the everyday person can have a conversation and relate to the issue without being an expert.

As it stands today, our message fails to connect on those points. We hope to bring the beginning of a simplified and impactful message to the Ag Mag readers by the next edition of this magazine, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you have ideas or would like to be part of the grass roots effort to get the word out about how Ag Labor is being addressed, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at the Texas International Produce Association.

NRCS Announces Conservation Assistance Funding for FY2023

Temple, Texas, Oct. 4, 2022 — The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas announced Fiscal Year 2023 financial assistance opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program - Conser vation Incentives Program (EQIP-CIC) and Regional Conser vation Partnership Program (RCPP). While NRCS accepts applications for these programs year-round, producers and landowners should apply by the state-specific application “due by” dates to be considered for fiscal year’s funding.

Texas Application Cutoff Dates

• EQIP: Nov. 4, 2022

• EQIP-CIC: Nov. 4, 2022

• RCPP: Nov. 4, 2022

• CSP: Feb. 24, 2023

NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help producers and landowners make conservation improvements on their land that benefit natural resources. NRCS offers financial assistance to assist with the installation of approved conservation practices. NRCS offers technical assistance at no fee to give customers personalized advice and information, based on the latest science and research, to help them make informed decisions. If a producer chooses to take the next step towards improving their operations, NRCS can work with them to develop a conservation plan that can assist them in achieving their agricultural production and conservation goals.

The conservation plan defines and explains existing resources in a straightforward and easy-to-understand manner.

A standard conservation plan will include land use maps, soils information, an inventory of resources, engineering notes, and other plan-related supporting information.

Applying for Assistance

The NRCS accepts applications for its conservation pro grams year-round. Updated ranking dates for all programs and states will be available soon at nrcs.usda.gov/stater ankingdates. Applications received after ranking dates will be automatically deferred to the next funding period. Producers, landowners and forest managers interested in applying for assistance should contact the NRCS at their local USDA Service Center.

Program Options

CSP helps producers take their conservation activities to the next level through comprehensive conservation and advanced conservation activities. For farmers, ranchers

and forestland owners already taking steps to improve the condition of the land, CSP can help find new ways to meet resource and operation goals.

EQIP offers financial and technical assistance to eligible par ticipants to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land. Within EQIP, Conser vation Incentive Contracts allow producers to further target priority resource concerns.

RCPP helps producers and landowners work with partners who are co-investing with NRCS on targeted projects. The following RCPP projects will be available in FY2023:

• Hill Country Headwaters Conservation Initiative. Available in the following watersheds: Barton Creek, Blanco River, Llano River, Onion Creek, Pedernales River, Sandy Creek and Upper San Marcos River.

• Texas Coastal Prairie Initiative. Available in the following counties: Austin, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Matagorda, Victoria, Waller, and Wharton.

• Restoring Perennial Flow in Comanche Springs. Available in the Belding Irrigation Area in Pecos County.

• NRCS-National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Pecos Partnership. Available in the Lower Pecos Watershed, which include the following counties (in part or whole): Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culbertson, Ector, Jeff Davis, Loving, Midland, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Val Verde, and Winkler.

Historically Underserved Producer Benefits

NRCS has set aside EQIP, CSP and ACEP funds for historically underserved producers. Under EQIP, historically under served producers are eligible for advance payments to help offset costs related to purchasing materials or contracting services up front. In addition, historically underserved produc ers can receive higher EQIP payment rates of up to 90% of average cost.

Conservation Practices and Climate

NRCS conservation programs play a critical role in USDA’s commitment to partnering with farmers, ranchers, forest land owners and local communities to deliver climate solutions that strengthen agricultural operations and rural America. States may prioritize a variety of voluntary conservation practices through these NRCS programs, including those that support climate-smart agriculture and forestry (CSAF).

Additional information is available on the Texas NRCS website at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov or by contacting your local USDA Service Center.

MORE THAN JUST INSURANCE!

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Wesly Vanderpool of Alamo earned the first bale of cotton honors this year and the Algodon Club and Harlingen Cotton Committee raised nearly $110,000 at the 2022 First Bale Auction and Scholarship Fundraiser.

The annual event was held, Sept. 22 at Casa Del Sol in Harlingen. The money raised – more than $59,000 for the Algodon Club Scholarship Fund – and nearly $50,000 for the Harlingen Cotton Committee Scholarship Fund – will be awarded as scholarships to local youth pursuing a career in the agricultural field.

The first bale was ginned by the Willacy County Co-Op.

White Gold Title Sponsors for the event included Boggus Automotive, BASF Fibermax/Stoneville and Commodities Integrated Logistics.

Gin Kin Supporting Sponsors included Farmers Crop Insurance and Capital Farm Credit. The first bale weighed of seed cotton, of Stoneville 4990 variety, weighed 1,989 pounds.

First Bale 2022

As pressures mount to make fashion more sustainable, brands, retailers, policymakers and industry leaders are all seeking assistance and assurances that global supply chains are using verified data and technology to improve the industry’s footprint.

INNOVATION AND DATA DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY IN U.S. COTTON INDUSTRY

Agriculture is often viewed as a trade based on intuition, with production knowledge passed down from one generation to another. While those traditions still exist, producers know that today’s issues — such as a changing climate and limited natural resources — require more complex solutions, providing US commodity producers the opportunity to lead the way when it comes to techno logical innovation.

As pressures mount to make fashion more sustain able, brands and retailers — as well as policymakers and industry leaders — are seeking assistance and reassurances that global supply chains are using verified data and technology to improve environmen tal footprint.

US-grown cotton is one of the most technologically advanced industries in the world; and it has used the innovations at its disposal to become continuously more sustainable. For more than 35 years, US cotton growers have made huge strides to progress the sustainability of their farms. They have improved soil health, reducing loss and erosion by 37 percent per acre all while increasing soil carbon levels. Addi tionally, they have used 79 percent less water and 54 percent less energy, reduced greenhouse gas emis sions by 40 percent and land use by 49 percent — all while increasing yield by approximately 42 percent

A new generation of ag tech

As technology has improved, growers continue to utilize emerging innovations to grow cotton more efficiently. According to a study from Duke University and Cotton Incorporated, 51 percent of US cotton growers use GPS-enabled swath control to ensure they are not overlapping practices such as planting, fertilizer applications and crop-protection applica tions. Nearly 7 in 10 growers surveyed also use GPS auto-steering functions on their equipment, such as tractors and pickers.

Precision agriculture has a major role in this new era of innovation around farming and sustainable agriculture. These technologies gather farm-specific parameters including soil conditions, nutrients and water availability. Many US cotton growers use preci sion technology throughout the cotton season — with 63 percent reporting that they use GPS receivers, multi-spectral images and ground-based sensors to further improve their sustainability. Consulting real-time weather radar improves efficiency by allow

ing growers to avoid activities that would be affected by weather, such as the timing of applying nutrients and herbicides. There is also the potential to reduce GHG emissions from optimized nutrient management and water use efficiency.

Quantifiable, verifiable goals and measurement for key sustainability metrics of US cotton production

Growers need to be able to demonstrate their sus tainable farming practices to brands and retailers who are facing increased pressure from their customers and policymakers to provide transparent sustainability metrics. This is where the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol comes in: The Trust Protocol aims to be the catalyst to shift the market towards continued sustainability progress. The program underpins and verifies the US cotton industry’s sustainability progress through data collection and independent third-party verification, and helps growers easily measure their progress in six key sustainability metrics — land use, soil car bon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency — thus, enabling growers to make informed decisions from one year to the next.

There is no doubt that agriculture has come a long way in the last three decades. The Trust Protocol aims to drive new possibilities through collaboration and technological advancements to ensure that the US cotton industry can lead the world in sustainable farming practices and its growers can achieve their goal of a better harvest through data-informed deci sions in the field.

POUND Texas wild caught shrimp

OUNCES choice boneless beef top sirloin

SMALL red bell pepper

SMALL yellow bell pepper

SMALL red onion, peeled

MEDIUM whole crimini mushrooms

SMALL fresh jalapeno peppers

STICK butter

CLOVES fresh garlic, sliced

TABLESPOON Worcestershire sauce

oil (for the grill)

TABLESPOON lemon pepper seasoning

Preparation

• Peel and de-vein the shrimp leaving the tails intact.

• Cut sirloin into two inch chunks.

Quick Texas Wild Caught Shrimp & Sirloin Kabobs

• Remove the seeds and stems from the bell peppers and cut into two inch pieces, cut the red onion the same.

• Clean the mushrooms and trim off the bottom of the stem.

• Take some kabob skewers and begin threading the shrimp onto the skewer alternating the shrimp with pieces of the onions, peppers and mushrooms.

• Do the same thing with the sirloin and vegetables on separate skewers. (Keep the shrimp and beef on separate skewers as they have different cooking times, depending on how you like your beef cooked)

• In a small sauce pan, melt the butter with the garlic until it simmers, remove from heat and whisk in the Worcestershire sauce. Set aside

• Prepare a gas or charcoal, charbroil grill and heat to medium high and brush grill grates with a little oil to keep the food from sticking.

• Season kabobs with lemon pepper seasoning and place on the lightly oiled grill.

• Cook the shrimp kabobs for about three to four minutes and brush with Worcestershire butter, flip and repeat. The shrimp are done when they have curled a bit, but are no longer translucent in the center.

• Cook the beef kabobs until the desired temperature, brushing occasionally with the Worcestershire butter.

• Place kabobs on a platter and drizzle with any remaining butter, serve hot.

CBB TO INVEST MONEY IN BEEF PROMOTION, RESEARCH

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) announced it plans to invest about $38.5 million into programs for beef promotion, research, con sumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications during fiscal 2023, subject to approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) approved checkoff funding for 13 authorizations requests, also known as grant proposals, for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1. The committee

includes 10 producers from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and 10 producers from the Federation of State Beef Councils.

“As we expected, the proposals we reviewed (this month) were remarkably innovative, containing many thought-provoking ideas and concepts. Our challenge is balancing the budget while also distributing our limited amount of checkoff dollars in a manner that we believe will best drive beef demand,” CBB and BPOC Chair Norman Voyles Jr. said.

CBB listed the following national organizations that will receive money from the budget:

American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture – $900,000

Cattlemen’s Beef Board – $1,850,000 Foundation for Meat and

Poultry Research and Education –$450,000

Meat Import Council of America / Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative – $550,000

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association – $25,720,000

National Institute for Animal Agriculture – $70,000

North American Meat Institute –$360,000

United States Cattlemen’s Association – $450,000

United States Meat Export Federation – $8,200,000

CBB also detailed some of the areas in the beef industry that it plans to focus on in the coming year.

The group will invest $9.4 million for promotion programs, including beef and veal campaigns focusing on beef’s nutritional value, eating experi ence, convenience and production.

Research programs focusing on pre- and post-har vest beef safety, scientific affairs, nutrition, sustain ability, product quality, culinary technical expertise and

consumer perceptions will receive $9.4 million.

Over $7.4 million will focus on consumer information programs, including a Northeast influencer and public relations initiative, curriculum directors and national consumer public relations. Additional

initiatives include outreach and engagement with food, culinary, nutrition and health thought lead ers; media and public relations efforts; and supply chain engagement.

Industrial information programs will receive about $2.6 million of the budget. The funds will be used for dissemination of accurate information about the beef industry to counter misinformation from anti-beef groups and others, as well as funding for checkoff participation in the annual national industrywide symposium about antibiotic use. Additional efforts in this program area include beef advocacy training and issues/crisis management and response.

About $8.2 million will be used for foreign market ing and education in 90 countries and 13 regions. and education in 90 countries and 13 regions.

CBB budgeted $1.8 million for producer commu nications. This includes investor outreach with na tional communications and direct communications to producers and importers about checkoff results.

The full fiscal 2023 CBB budget is about $42.7 million. Separate from the authorization requests, other expenses funded include $270,000 for program evaluation; $585,000 for program development; $200,000 for checkoff communications resources; $550,000 for USDA oversight; $210,000 for state services; $270,000 supporting services and litigation; and $2.1 million for CBB administration.

The fiscal 2023 program budget represents a decrease of slightly less than 1%, or $350,800, from the $38.9 million FY22 budget.

For more information about the beef checkoff and its programs, contact the CBB at 303-220-9890 or visit DrivingDemandForBeef.com.

Rainfall across Texas brings relief, but drought remains

ainfall across Texas and cooler temperatures provided agricultural producers some relief from drought and extreme heat over recent weeks, but most areas remain in a moisture deficit, according to the Texas state climatologist and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Serviceagronomists.

and the Lower Rio Grande Valley and the area between Fort Worth and the Arkansas/Louisiana border. The Texas Panhandle picked up the least amount of precipitation over the past 30 days.

The East Texas town of Zavalla between Lufkin and Jasper received the most rain during the month – 17.65 inches, Nielsen-Gammon said. Ferris, just south of Dallas, reported 16.65 inches while Corpus Christi and Houston both picked up more than 14 inches. Encinal, north of Laredo, received 13.39 inches of rain, while Laredo reported almost 11 inches. Kent, a historically arid location in West Texas, north of Alpine, received more rainfall – 13.67 inches – than its average annual amount – 13.06 inches – between Aug. 15 and Sept. 4, Nielsen-Gammon said.

Low stock tank levels around the state were a major concern for cattle producers around the state. While rainfall across Texas helped many areas, surface water availability remained an issue as drought condi tions continued. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Courtney Sacco)

John Nielsen-Gammon, Ph.D., state climatologist in the Texas A&M College of Geosciences Department of Atmospheric Sciences, said most areas of the state received above-average rainfall during August but were still behind average rainfall amounts for the year.

“We’ve seen drought contraction across the state, and last week’s rainfall should show improvement in the upcoming drought monitor later this week,” Nielsen-Gammon said. “But the rain is over for now. It looks like we’re now entering a dry stretch and have seen all the improve ment we are going to see for a while.” AgriLife Extension agronomists Reagan Noland, Ph.D., San Angelo; Jourdan Bell, Ph.D., Amarillo; and Ronnie Schnell, Ph.D., Bryan-College Station, said the rains helped, but noted their respective regions were still gripped by drought.

The most recent Texas drought monitor map produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska shows reduced drought conditions around the state. The Drought Severity and Coverage Index, DSCI, which ranges from 0-500 and calculates the cumulative drought data for an area, showed the drought peaked at 380 on Aug. 8. The DSCI was 251 on Sept. 1.

Sporadic rainfall across Texas

Nielsen-Gammon said rainfall amounts were highly variable across much of the state. The wettest parts included a swath between Del Rio

Noland said an important aspect of the recent weather was that the storm systems delivered cooler temperatures and cloudy days along with the rainfall. That contrasted to the limited rainfall received earlier in May and June, which was quickly lost to hot and windy conditions. Areas around San Angelo received 1.5-9 inches of rain, and tempera tures dropped into the upper 80s for daytime highs and 60s at night with cloudy days. “I had 2 inches of rain on a field in late May that never infiltrated more than 3 or 4 inches down and had dried out completely within a couple days,” he said. “This time the rain was able to soak in, although the subsoil is still depleted. In many areas, we have decent moisture down to 6 or 8 inches, but below that is still dry. We’re still in an extreme moisture deficit, and it will take repeat rain events to change that.”

Weather pattern forecast still drier than normal

Nielsen-Gammon said a La Niña weather pattern is expected to hold through fall and winter, which means below average precipitation and above-average temperatures for Texas historically. The above-normal expectations for hurricanes and tropical storms could deliver moisture, but those storms typically bring destruction as well.

Crop field shows cracks in the soil from prolonged drought

“We haven’t reached peak hurricane season, and we are up to ‘E’ with a few storms brewing, but it seems we’ve avoided a very active sea son,” he said. “It’s even more important that no hurricane landfalls have occurred. We’re better off with a widespread rain to break the drought, but weather patterns don’t appear to be cooperating following the second hottest summer on record.” The arid conditions took their toll on most dryland crop acres, and irrigated fields struggled to keep up with plant water demands over the course of the growing season, according to numerous AgriLife Extension reports.

Bell said the recent rainfall was in time to help finish out irrigated crops like corn and grain sorghum, which are in the kernel fill stage, and should benefit boll development in cotton. But the rainfall amounts around the Texas Plains were scattered and variable, she said. In areas that received heavier rains, the higher amounts in a short time did not allow for incorporation into the soil profile. “Where higher rates were received, rainfall rates were often in excess of the soil infiltration rate so the rainfall was not as efficient as it would have been if received over several days,” she said. Sunny days and higher temperatures also followed storm systems in the Texas Plains, she said.

Rainfall improved soil moisture, but not enough

While the rainfall will likely help established crops mature to harvest, Bell said there was not enough to build up the soil moisture to establish and support a wheat crop. Wheat fields were being planted, but where fields were being plowed, she said there was not enough moisture to germinate the crop.

Schnell said most areas in his region received 2-4 inches of rainfall, while some areas picked up several inches more. The moisture will help recharge the soil moisture profile and producer optimism but was far from enough to break the drought. All warm-season crops were harvested or beyond any stage where moisture would benefit them, he said. But the rains should help cool-season small grains like oats and wheat. Pastures and rangelands were already showing signs of improvement and should help grazing and late-season hay production as well. “Right now, producers are glad for the rain and cooler temperatures, but when you hear the long-term outlook is on the drier side, it’s something we have to keep in mind as we plan for next season’s crop,” Schnell said. “Good grain and commodity prices add to the optimism, but input costs are high as well, so it’s about having really good yields along with really good prices, and we need the weather to cooperate for that to happen.”

or increase stocking rates. The rainfall was expected to influence cattle culling for the near future. Producers were hopeful improved pastures would provide at least one more hay cutting.

COASTAL BEND

Scattered rainfall improved rangeland and pasture conditions, but despite the much-needed rain, drought conditions persisted. Soggy fields halted most fieldwork, except for the rice harvest, which was almost complete. Cotton harvest was mostly complete as well. Producers anticipated a good hay cutting when conditions dry out. Fresh growth was at high risk of fall armyworm dam age, and producers were monitoring pastures. Some hay producers had already sprayed for fall armyworms at treatment threshold. Livestock were in good condition with prices steady to higher.

EAST

The district looked much better after recent rains. Pasture and hay meadows improved enough to potentially get another cutting of hay. Pasture and rangeland conditions were fair to good. Subsoil conditions were short to adequate, and topsoil conditions were adequate. Water levels in creeks and ponds rose. There were reports of armyworms and producers treating pastures for them. Livestock conditions were fair to good with some supplementation taking place

SOUTH PLAINS

Temperatures were cooler, and more rain fell over the past week. Areas received 1-5 inches across the district. Parts of the district missed good rainfall, but many received enough to fill stock tanks and improve pasture and rangeland conditions. Moisture was expected to help winter wheat and plantings were expected to begin soon. Cattle were in good condition.

PANHANDLE

Crop conditions in some areas improved due to milder temperatures and rain. Soil moisture levels were adequate in most counties, and rangeland and pasture conditions were fair. Some early wheat plantings started for potential grazing opportunities. Irrigation was winding down on many corn fields as they matured. Silage harvest was underway. Some grain sorghum fields were starting to color.

NORTH

Topsoil moisture throughout the district was reported to be adequate. Temperatures were cooler and some counties reported 2-4 inches of rainfall. Cotton looked decent. Soybean fields not harvested for hay still looked poor. Pastures recovered well, and Bermuda grass bounced back and was actively growing.

FAR WEST

Good rains fell throughout the district, with totals ranging from trace amounts to 8 inches. Conditions were also cooler and cloudy. Rangeland conditions were greening up with new growth, but some overgrazed pastures will take more time and rain to bounce back. Most irrigation wells were turned off. Cotton bolls were starting to open, and opening was expected to pick up considerably once warm weather returned. Winter wheat plantings were expected to follow the rainfall depending on moisture. Planted hay grazer was emerging, and some was expected to be cut and baled. Heavy rains were hurting agriculture production around El Paso. Wet conditions were delaying alfalfa cutting and baling and negatively impacting management of irrigated crop fields. Soggy conditions were also delaying work in pecan orchards or equipment was leaving ruts, which may impact production. The pecan crop looked decent.

WEST CENTRAL

Much-needed rainfall occurred again, but totals varied depending on location. Stock tanks caught some runoff but were still in bad shape. Pastures were greening up and will provide decent grazing for livestock soon. Small grain plantings will start soon for grazing. Nearly all cotton fields were zeroed out and shredded or plowed.

SOUTHWEST

Spotty showers delivered rainfall, but some areas received more than others with up to 6 inches reported. Pasture and rangeland conditions improved. Supplemental feeding and selling of live stock continued but slowed in some areas with the recent rains. Cattle sale numbers were down significantly. Cotton harvest neared completion.

CENTRAL

Weather brought cooler temperatures and much-needed rain to the district. Rainfall was sporadic with trace amounts up to 10 inches reported across the district. Soil moisture levels remained short in most counties. High humidity helped hold moisture in the ground. Pastures were greening up nicely, but more rain was needed to make a dent in the drought conditions. Despite improvement, most rangeland and pastures were in poor overall condition. Livestock conditions were fair. About one-third of the cotton had been harvested with the remainder showing exten sive resprouting quality decline.

ROLLING PLAINS

Temperatures were cooler. Most areas received some rain, but amounts ranged from a trace up to 4 inches. Producers were preparing to plant wheat in areas that received good rainfall, but soil remained too dry to plant in many areas despite rainfall. Pastures and rangeland conditions were improving following rainfall, but not enough was received to reduce supplemental feeding

SOUTH

Soil moisture levels were short to adequate. Many areas received rainfall over recent weeks with average amounts ranging from 1-2 inches and isolated areas receiving up to 10 inches. More rainfall was in the forecast. Temperatures warmed back up following a cool spell that accompa nied storm systems. Cotton harvest was underway in some areas and complete in others, while some fields around the district ranged from flowering to the boll-opening stage. Cotton stalk clearing was underway in some fields. Peanut fields continued to progress. Strawberry fields were prepared for planting. Pastures and rangeland were greening up, and forage conditions were improving rapidly in some areas. There were reports of mealy bugs and armyworms in pastures. Bermuda grass pastures looked good with some fields ready for cutting and baling but too wet for harvesting. Hay producers were replanting hay grazer. Livestock conditions were improving, and cattle prices were consistent as sale volumes decreased. Ranchers were still pro viding supplemental feed to livestock and deer. Producers were preparing fields for cool-season small-grain planting. Irrigation slowed in citrus and sugarcane. Dove season was in full swing.

WE ARE EAGER TO SHARE OUR PASSION WITH YOU!

WRITTEN BY: CHRISTOPHER WEBB, CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF CANNON REPUBLIC, INC.

What is the number one thing that we, people of the land, need to continue our way of life?

Political stability? Economic advancement? Is it what we all pray for, especially this year - Rain to alleviate our drought? No, it surely isn’t - it is something most overlook. Something vibrantly alive with a brilliant array of some of mother natures’ smallest creatures - I am refer ring to fertile topsoil.

Many of us might not remember our science class days, where an “eclectic” teacher tried to explain to a room full of kids that “dirt” is not a thing, but “Soil” is, and that Soil is something truly special. Some people didn’t get it then, but I on the other hand, could not have been more interested. ‘You mean soil isn’t just the host for plant life, subterranean animals, and insects - that the soil itself is composed of Billions of microorganisms?!’ I mean how cool is that?! Soil is the most valuable limited resource on the planet and it doesn’t take long to realize that vibrant soils of that type are disappearing from the earth at an alarming and ever accelerating rate.

Our Company, Cannon Republic, is here to make a differ ence. We strive to educate and mitigate the negative effects human development and expansion have had on the health and wellness of our soils. Healthy soils create a healthy herd, the global herd of all life on the planet.

We decided from the very beginning that there was faith and knowledge within American Farmers and Ranchers, and that we needed to help expand this knowledge. We are well aware degradation of the soil is worsening every year, lead ing to increased inputs and synthetic fertilizers/herbicides/ pesticides to combat negative soil health conditions.

Certain Farmers and Ranchers that have historically found success pursuing “Regenerative Agriculture” methods, are finding themselves ahead of the curve now that imported soil amendments are becoming increasingly more expensive, and harder to source. Regenerative agricultural practices such as no-till farming, crop rotation, grazing, burning, and

utilization of composts are vital to the continuation of soil health, making these methods keystones of our mission. In our search for solutions to this global problem, we were blessed to discover a domestic deposit that holds the keys to the future success of Regenerative Farmers and Ranchers across the United States.

The deposit is a unique, natural blend of organic matter deposited in a bowl-shaped depression thousands of years ago. The deposit has never been covered with overburden, so the material has never hardened throughout the ages. Over time, this deposit has been developed and studied, finding that the material contributes substantially to soil regeneration and plant nutrition, to the point where crops can grow where they previously had difficulty (due to soil condi tions), with improved growth, stress tolerance and nutritional value.

This “Ancient Humus” resource produces the Cannon Republic Foundation-SB products. It is 100% Organic, contains beneficial soil biology, plant available trace elements, Lignin, and a full spectrum of Humic Acid Com pounds. Through a patented process of Cold-Water Extraction, the material is liquified in a manner safe to the critical ingredients found in the raw dry material. The natu ral Humate is not altered in any way. The process does not require heat or chemicals of any kind, leaving all the live beneficial soil biology intact and ready to be used.

Cannon Republic Foundation-SB, (Liquid and Dry) for agri culture, is the only Humic product on the market that is natu rally a soil inoculant, soil amendment and a soil conditioner, containing high concentrations of beneficial soil microbes (40 billion+/gal). The Humic substances in Cannon Republic Foundation-SB contain naturally occurring humic, fulvic, and ulmic acid of the highest quality and have not been altered or degraded by heat or chemicals.

Almost all other humate products on the market are derived from leonardite, a strata found in close proximity to coal or shale, that requires mechanical grinding, heat, and chem icals to process the material into a usable medium. These processes take large amounts of hydrocarbon fuel thus low

ering their environmentally “Green” status - plus these pro cesses can alter the chemical makeup of the basic Humate. Unlike leonardite that has little to no active biology, Cannon Republic Foundation-SB is a living material!

Laboratory tests show Cannon Republic Foundation-SB dry has a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 25.63 to 1 (25.63/1), a pH of 4.97, it is 94.89% carbon, and 5.11% mineral matter. Laboratory tests also verify that Cannon Republic Founda tion-SB Dry contains over 67% Humic Acid, 1.76% nitrogen as well as small amounts of phosphorous and potassium. It has 72 trace elements such as boron, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and sulfur all needed for plant life. These elements are organic & naturally occurring and, in a plant - available form.

Humic acid is a fraction of overall humic substances that is not soluble in water under acidic conditions (below pH 2), but is soluble at a higher pH. A substantial fraction of the mass of humic acids is in carboxylic acid functional groups, which endow these molecules with the ability to chelate positively charged multivalent ions (Mg++, Ca++ and Fe++). The chelating of ions is probably the most important role of humic acids with respect to living systems. By chelating ions, the Humic Acids facilitate the uptake of ions through beneficial fungi and root systems.

Fulvic acid is the fraction of humic substances that is soluble under all pH conditions. Fulvic acid works biologically as a food source to establish a desirable environment for micro organism growth and development. As a growth stimulant, it increases seed germination, viability and root respiration and the formation of plant growth, thus increasing crops’ yield and quality. It is a micro-molecule which delivers mineral Ions directly to the plants’ cells for food and energy. Fulvic acid also helps detoxify pollutants in the soil and absorb many poisons (reducing soil-life damage) and catalyzes the rapid breakdown of toxins. Ulmic acid is the acid radical found in humic matter which is soluble in alkali. It, like humic and fulvic acid, has properties for nutrient release and cation absorption.

The other major contributor to Cannon Republic Founda tion-SB not found in humates derived from Leonardite/Coal is lignin. Lignin is originally found as an integral part of the secondary cell walls of plants and some algae. It’s water binding qualities allow lignin to retain as much as seven times its own weight in water, making plants more drought resistant, helping reduce water usage and plant damage. Lignin is also a high-level food source for the good fungi in your soil, helping keep it alive while soils regain health.

The lignin found in Cannon Republic Foundation-SB binds metal ions, thus preventing them from reacting with other compounds and becoming soluble. Metal ions sequestered with lignosulfonates stay dissolved while in solution keeping them available to plants. In the case of pesticide residue, lignin locks it up and holds it until soil biology can break the residue down into harmless compounds, thus protecting groundwater.

Critical differentiators of Cannon Republic Foundation-SB from other humates derived from sub-surface strata are the high concentration and diversity of living natural soil biology it contains. One of the microorganisms indigenous to the site is nitrobacillus georgiensis, identified as a never-before-seen bacillus; a natural nitrogen fixing agent. Some of the microbes and fungi found in Cannon Republic Founda tion-SB extend the reach of plants roots, some fungi attach ing to and become part of the plant root system, which can then grow out into the soil as far as 100’s of feet, improving the ability to find nutrients and water and sending it back to the plant. Other microbes help plants naturally fight off pests and diseases while building the plant’s natural immune system. Still others inhibit pathogens naturally found in soils such as Fusarium oxysporum, Phytophthora sp., Collec totrichum sp., Helminthosporium sp., Sclerotium rolfsii, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and others.

This incredible domestic product helps to re-establish the healthy ancient microbiome of soil that has been degraded over time. We at Cannon Republic have made it our mis sion to aid the American Farmer and Rancher, and we are honored to provide not only our products, but complete soil, water, and plant testing, as well as regenerative agriculture consulting to all wanting to see the betterment of the soil environment firsthand. If you are interested in hearing more about our products, mission, and future goals, please feel free to visit our website, cannonrepublic.com, or contact us at: info@cannonrepublic.com (979) 353-1911

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — An increasing number of battles against fall armyworms are being reported around the state, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts are recommending forage producers be prepared to fight infesta tions.

David Kerns, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state integrated pest management coordinator and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, said fall armyworm activity has increased over recent weeks. He noted infestations in Corpus Christi and egg lays around College Station and noted that forage producers in the eastern half of the state should actively monitor pastures for the pest. “Applications are ongoing, and we’re really on the front end of infestations, so they are definite ly something to look out for,” he said.

Fall armyworm populations typically build following large rain events that promote grass growth for the pest populations to develop and build. The pest is extremely damaging to forag es and got its name because they appear to march army-like across hay fields, consuming the grass in their path.

The pest’s name is also indicative of their active season, and activity typically begins to increase between July and Septem ber, but wet weather can trigger outbreaks, Kerns said. The pest can persist until frost.

Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension forage specialist, Overton, said she has also seen increased reports of fall armyworm activity. She highly recommends producers who value forages to be on alert.

“We see how well Bermuda grass responded to the moisture, and so given the drought and the short hay supplies, forage resources are precious and should be protected accordingly,” she said. “If you’ve invested in fertilizer or planted winter pasture, you need to protect that investment.”

Monitor valued forages for fall armyworms

Fall armyworms are green with brown or black colorations and can be identified by the white inverted Y on their head. They can grow up to 1.5 inches in length when mature.

Fall armyworm moths can lay up to 2,000 eggs that hatch in two to three days, according to a 2021 report by Dalton Ludwick, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension entomologist, Corpus Christi. Fall armyworm management suggestions can be found in Ludwick’s report, and in the AgriLife Extension entomology guide, Manag ing Insect Pests of Texas Forage Crops.

Corriher-Olson said fertilized Bermuda grass and small, tender seedling cool-season forages are at a greater risk of being infested by fall armyworms. Whether producers hope to make one more cutting of warm-season hay or establish good stands of cool-season forages like ryegrass or winter wheat, Corri her-Olson said they should be ready to act against fall army worms as soon as the pests near threshold.

Corriher-Olson recommends producers scout for fall army worms in the morning. “You should have products on hand and be ready to spray because tomorrow could be too late,” she said. “Scout early and treat them immediately once they reach threshold because they can demolish a field over

night. You can tell pretty quickly if you have a problem by walking through a pasture. Scouting may take a little time, but it doesn’t cost anything and could be the difference in saving a pasture or losing it to fall armyworms.”

Be ready to control quickly, effectively

Corriher-Olson and Kerns said they have not heard of any product shortages, but producers should have pesticides labeled for fall armyworms at the ready. Kerns said despite inconsistent fall armyworm control with pyrethroids in 2021, AgriLife Extension tests in College Station and Port Lavaca have shown pyrethroids to be an effective, economic treat ment option for producers.

“Pyrethroids appear to be providing good control this year,” he said. “A week out from a test and you can see those pastures are having a few more fall armyworms in them but not enough to respray. There are better products, but pyre throids are so much more economical.”

Corriher-Olson said combination sprays of pyrethroids and products that provide residual coverage can be an effective one-two punch that provides control over a longer period, which can be important when weather creates conditions for multi-generational outbreaks.

Another noteworthy pasture pest, especially in Central Texas this season, are desert termites, Kerns said. The pest eats dead grass but will cover healthy grass in mud tunnels to kill and then eat it. The tiny mud tunnels along the soil surface amid dead grass are a visual sign of desert termite.

“They seem to be everywhere from Uvalde to Hillsboro, but they are primarily a Central and West Texas pest,” he said. “As the name implies, they like dry weather.”

Kerns said experiments with the pyrethroid, lambda-cyha lothrin, reduced desert termite activity by 95%, but it is not labeled for the pest. However, producers treating fall armyworms with lambda-cyhalothrin should see good desert termite control. Pyrethroids can also be effective against another forage pest – Bermuda grass stem maggot flies –if they are present during application, Corriher-Olson said.

Corriher-Olson noted reports of stem maggot in some East Texas fields, but no major outbreaks so far. But she said they are also worth monitoring. Flies lay eggs in the plant stem, and the larvae move into the upper node to eat, which causes damage to the top two leaves. Infestations can look similar to frost damage.

“It is one of those years that protection of forages should be at a premium,” she said. “Whether you’re protecting new growth for winter grazing or a fertilized pasture you hope to get one more cutting before grasses go dormant, when it comes to fall armyworms, you just have to think about the value of that forage.”