11/23/2010
Each Thanksgiving my family gathers 'round our table and we each recite something we are thankful for. I am usually a little behind so this year I made a list, and as I prepared the list, I thought to myself if the Texas farmers and ranchers prepared such a list of the things they are thankful for in this Thanksgiving season of 2010?
If you have, pull it out of your shirt pocket and mark a few of the items off with me. First and foremost, we are thankful for moisture. Many of us spent a large portion of 2001 to 2009 in a double dip La Niña. 2010 brought our area 40+ inches of rain and the promises rain brings. Second on my list came as a result of the rain promise in the form of added gain and yeild for both crops and livestock. From corn to cucumbers and Boer kids to stocker yearlings we saw a sizeable, if not, record increase. Prices followed suit aided by the drops in numbers suffered from 07-09. Prices for kid goats and cotton are both higher than any time in recorded history. Those are just a few of the things Texas Agriculture has to be thankful for this year. I'm sure you have many more items on your list, as do I. I tell you what... Let's meet back here in 37 days and see just how many items we can add to our list before the year ends. Sound good to you? See you then.
-LMM