Talk of Texas often conjures images of wide open ranch land and farmers at work their fields. But that iconic territory is being lost, according to a new analysis. Dr. Roel Lopez, director for Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, says the state lost over 1 million acres of privately-owned farm land and forest land […]
Forget the governor’s race. All across Texas people are voting over beef. Friday is the final day for ranchers and others who deal in cattle to vote on implementing a Texas beef checkoff, a tax charged each time a cow is sold. There’s already a national beef checkoff that levies a one dollar assessment on […]
A map of reported Anthrax cases in Texas, by county. Map by Michael Marks Texas is cattle country: there are nearly 13 million cows wandering through Texas, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. That’s over 14 percent of the country’s total cattle population. And our bovine friends have some company: there are also approximately 1.3 […]
Audio slideshow by Reporting Intern Ann Choi Cattle rustling, the age-old crime of stealing livestock, might seem like something for the history books. But, as our readers and listeners learned last month, Texas ranchers are seeing an increase in stolen cows, even as the number of cattle dwindles. The report generated a lot of interest. […]
Cattle theft is up almost 40 percent, a trend that’s surprised some in law enforcement.
They don’t prepare you for this kind of story in journalism school, but here goes: Texas cattle have an STD problem. This month the Texas Animal Health Commission announced new regulations on how to test for a venereal disease among cattle called Tricomoniasis. Dr. Dee Ellis, Executive Director of the Commission, and Texas State Veterinarian estimates […]
If vampire bats do make it to Texas, it will be because of something more terrifying than tales of the undead: climate change.
StateImpact seeks to inform and engage local communities with broadcast and online news focused on how state government decisions affect your lives.
Learn More »