Texas

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and in the realm of agriculture, farms, and ranches, truer words have never been spoken. The state of Texas is a farming behemoth, boasting 247,000 active farms sprawling across over 126 million acres. In this state, permanent pasture and rangeland outnumbers cropland nearly 3 to 1 with upwards of 88 million acres of free-range pasture. It should be no surprise that Texas is the #1 cattle producer in the U.S., producing 12.7 million cattle per year, nearly double that of #2 Nebraska. 4.475 million cattle are allocated for beef production, with around 625,000 for dairy production. Texas dairy cows produce an average of 15.6 billion pounds of milk a year and generate the state around $2.84 billion in agricultural revenue.

Cattle isn't the only thing Texas is known for, the state also produces goats, sheep, hogs, and was ranked the 6th largest chicken producer in the country in 2022.

Texas truly has one of the largest, most impressive agricultural backgrounds in the country. Instead of declining, the agricultural landscape here has been rock steady and has even seen some growth over the last 15 years. When it comes to livestock, no one else compares.

However, big industry also means big competition. Most of the larger farms sell to meat packing plants and large corporate industries at a market price that is often largely in favor of the large corporate industries, leaving very little bottom line for the seller. For large farms that sell thousands of cattle at a time, this may not be an issue, but for smaller farms, this could have vastly negative consequences for the survival of the farm. Additionally, as with any large industry, quality can sometimes wane in the wake of profitability and throughput. In an effort to boost productivity and lower costs, some farms resort to grain feeding and feedlots. In 2021 there were around 2.93 million "on feed" cattle recorded in the state of Texas. This unnatural feeding pattern increases the stress level of the animal, causes metabolic dysfunction, and opens them up for a host of various diseases.

One of the most effective ways to combat this is to create a demand for farm to table food sourcing. Supporting local, regenerative farms sets a precedence of demand for high-quality, responsibly raised animals, and as a result, increases the profit margin of the farmer by cutting out the large corporate market. This business structure pulls power back to the people and gives them nutritional and market independence, thus keeping the money out of the hands of greedy corporate industries and putting it back into the local economy, all while regenerating and restoring the land.