{"id":24329,"date":"2013-02-19T08:53:39","date_gmt":"2013-02-19T14:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/?p=24329"},"modified":"2013-04-01T16:28:19","modified_gmt":"2013-04-01T21:28:19","slug":"a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/","title":{"rendered":"A Plant Closes on the Plains, and a Community Ponders Its Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-24329 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/criseldas-daughter-edit\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/Criseldas-daughter-edit-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/Criseldas-daughter-edit-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/Criseldas-daughter-edit-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/Criseldas-daughter-edit-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24450'>\n\t\t\t\tGenerations of Plainview residents worked at the plant. Aubrey Rivera,  Aliva&#8217;s daughter, told her her mom she wanted to work there when she grew up. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/img_4541\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4541-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4541-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4541-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4541-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24399'>\n\t\t\t\tCriselda Avila lost her job at the Cargill Beef Processing Plant in Plainview. Now she&#8217;s unsure what she&#8217;ll do and what will happen to the Southern Plains town she calls home. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/img_4617-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_46171-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_46171-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_46171-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_46171-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24437'>\n\t\t\t\tJose Amaya and his wife Zuzema have relatives who have already moved away. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/img_4624\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4624-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4624-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4624-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4624-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24436'>\n\t\t\t\tImages of cows can be found on the street signs of downtown Plainview\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/img_4554\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4554-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24435\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4554-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4554-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4554-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24435'>\n\t\t\t\tRuben and Riene Olivas worry what will happen to their business now that the plant has closed. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/img_4614\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4614-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4614-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4614-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4614-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24433'>\n\t\t\t\tThe streets of Plainview.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/img_4647\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4647-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4647-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4647-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4647-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24431'>\n\t\t\t\tStatues of cattle can be found throughout town. A nod to the local importance of the industry. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/johnny-edit-2\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/johnny-edit1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/johnny-edit1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/johnny-edit1-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/johnny-edit1-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24412'>\n\t\t\t\tJohnny Ray Muniz leaves his last shift at the Cargill Beef Processing Plant. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/img_4534\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4534-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4534-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4534-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4534-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24410'>\n\t\t\t\tAs Mayor Wendell Dunlap plans for the city&#8217;s recovery, &#8220;your prayers are appreciated,&#8221; he said. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/cargill-last-day-1\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/cargill-last-day-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/cargill-last-day-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/cargill-last-day-1-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/cargill-last-day-1-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24401'>\n\t\t\t\tA group picture taken the day the last cow came through the Cargill Plant. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/img_4543\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4543-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4543-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4543-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4543-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24438'>\n\t\t\t\tThe Cargill Excel Beef Processing plant in Plainview, Texas. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/img_4557\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4557-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-24407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4557-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4557-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4557-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-24407'>\n\t\t\t\tIrene and Ruben Olivas say the ripple effect of the plant closure threatens the bakery where they work. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>By the time the cows arrived at Criselda Avila&#8217;s work station at the Cargill Excel Beef Processing Plant in Plainview, they had already been slaughtered, skinned and gutted. The carcasses came in hanging from a long chain that ran over the plant floor. They were divided up and divided again. Avila worked on skirt steaks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou gotta spread it open and then cut the little skirt off, and then throw that on the table and then peeling and just trimming the fat off is what it was,&#8221; she remembered recently, sitting in her living room. &#8220;You know, fajitas.\u201d<\/p>\n<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-24329-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/Buchele-Plainview-Plant-Closure-MIX-WEB.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/Buchele-Plainview-Plant-Closure-MIX-WEB.mp3\">https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/Buchele-Plainview-Plant-Closure-MIX-WEB.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>It was numbingly repetitive work. More than 4,500 cows went through the plant every day. So when Avila was done with one, there was always another behind it. Then, on the last day of January, she saw something she never expected to see.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24401\"  class=\"wp-caption module image left\" style=\"max-width: 178px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/cargill-last-day-1\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-24401\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-24401\" title=\"cargill last day 1\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/cargill-last-day-1-178x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"178\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo courtesy of Criselda Avila<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A group picture taken the day the last cow came through the Cargill Plant.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;There were the last few cows, then the last cow was coming down the chain, and people there were just banging our hooks,&#8221; she said. &#8220;People started crying, like \u2018oh my god this is the end of it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was how the city of Plainview lost over 2,000 jobs.\u00a0After years of drought, the U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest level since 1952. Cargill Meat Solutions, the company that owns the plant, says there are simply not enough cows in existence to keep the plant running. For years ranchers across Texas have been cutting back their herds in response to the historically dry weather, but this is the first time those cuts have reached up the supply chain, to hit the industrial heart of a Texas city.\u00a0 The plant closure could have wide sweeping ramifications across the region. <!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Avila is 27 years old, but could pass for even younger. She favors dark eye makeup and sports a fashionable lip piercing. A single mother of three, she never graduated from high school but assumed she could keep her job at Cargill for as long as she wanted. Now, like many of the people who worked at the plant, she doubts she&#8217;ll find another job that pays as well as work there did.<\/p>\n<p>She&#8217;s considering going back to school for a career in healthcare. And, like a lot of people in Plainview, she&#8217;s imagining scenarios in which the plant could reopen.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Let me win the lottery, I&#8217;ll go open it!&#8221; she says with a laugh.<\/p>\n<p>But, lottery or not, a reopening is an unlikely scenario.<\/p>\n<h4>The Backbone of a Community<\/h4>\n<p>There may be fewer cows in the country&#8217;s ranches, but there are still plenty of reminders of them on the streets of Plainview. Downtown, just a few blocks from Avila&#8217;s house, pictures of cows adorn the street signs. Statues of cattle are everywhere. They&#8217;re carved in wood, cast in metal, but mostly <a href=\"http:\/\/www.phylliswall.com\/photos\/plainviews_cows\/index.html\">pressed in fiberglass<\/a> as part of a decade-old project to promote tourism. The plant is part of what gave the city its identity.\u00a0 Now, in the domino logic of factory closures around the world, no work at the plant means less business everywhere else.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re already starting to see the difference,&#8221; Irene Olivas said, taking a break from closing up for the night at the Frisco Bakery and Panaderia.\u00a0 &#8220;We\u2019re very slow. We see the sales, and as far as cutting the meat that we need for the week, it\u2019s been going down.\u201d<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24407\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/19\/a-plant-closes-on-the-plains-and-a-community-ponders-its-future\/img_4557\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-24407\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-24407\" title=\"IMG_4557\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4557-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4557-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4557-620x465.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4557.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Mose Buchele<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Irene and Ruben Olivas say the ripple effect of the plant closure threatens the bakery where they work.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Tucked behind a grain elevator on the east side of town, the Frisco has served up pastries and steaming plates of Mexican food for more than 50 years. The Hispanic population the restaurant caters to is now the largest single demographic in this town of 22,000. But that won&#8217;t inoculate it from the effects of the plant closure.<\/p>\n<p>Another business, a cleaning company that relied on contracts at the Cargill plant, has already laid off its workforce of 125 people. And as more and more businesses suffer, Irene\u2019s husband Ruben thinks a lot of people will be moving on. In fact, he says it&#8217;s already started.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Now that people are leaving here,&#8221; he says, &#8220;you\u2019re going to see a lot of houses for rent. Instead of a growing Plainview it\u2019s going to be a Ghost Plainview,&#8221; Ruben, who himself immigrated to Plainview from Mexico, told me in his native Spanish.<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>A Ghost Plainview<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>This wasn\u2019t the first time someone used the term &#8220;ghost town&#8221; referring to what could happen to Plainview. I heard it the next morning from Jose Ricardo Amaya back at the Frisco. His daughter worked at the plant, and the construction firm he\u2019s with will also lose millions in business.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24437\"  class=\"wp-caption module image left\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Jose Amaya and his wife Zuzema have relatives who have already moved away. \" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_46171.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-24437\" title=\"IMG_4617\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_46171-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_46171-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_46171-620x465.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_46171.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Mose Buchele<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jose Amaya and his wife Zuzema have relatives who have already moved away.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cGhost town,\u201d he said, was more than a just figure of speech.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of the people, it\u2019s going to hurt them. And to relocate somewhere else where they can find a life again, they have to sell what they have,&#8221; he said.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s, unfortunately, a not uncommon experience for the Great Plains of the United States,&#8221; said Steve Murdock, who I spoke with by phone from his office in Houston.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Murdock used to direct the U.S. Census Bureau; he was also the Texas demographer. Now he runs the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University. \u00a0Much of Texas has seen a population boom in recent years, but many counties in the Plains regions have consistently lost people.<\/p>\n<p>Murdock, who himself grew up in the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle, says it&#8217;s a trend that started years ago, as fewer and fewer people were needed for farming.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Not to get to personal, but a community that, when I was growing up, had about 1,500 people, I recently found out that it now has about 300 people,&#8221; said Murdock. &#8220;Now that&#8217;s 30 years, but still, that community now is I think concerned about its long-term viability.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Now the drought could be speeding up a process that&#8217;s being going on for decades.<\/p>\n<p>In Friona, Texas, about 80 miles from Plainview, the people fear they could lose their Cargill beef processing plant as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can\u2019t survive if we don\u2019t have these kinds of businesses to support our community. We don\u2019t have the tax base,\u201d William Stovell, president of the Friona Economic Development Board, told the Senate Natural Resources Committee this week.<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Stovell said that the plant in Friona had enacted water conservation measures in the face of the drought, cutting usage from 600 gallons to just over 400 per head of cattle. But the town needs state money if it is going to continue conservation efforts to keep its industry.<\/p>\n<h4>Hard Cuts<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cNobody is willing to let this community die,&#8221; Plainview Mayor Wendel Dunlap told me recently in his City Hall office.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24410\"  class=\"wp-caption module image left\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"As Mayor Wendell Dunlap plans for the city's recovery, &quot;your prayers are appreciated,&quot; he said. \" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4534.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-24410\" title=\"IMG_4534\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4534-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4534-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4534-620x465.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/IMG_4534.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Mose Buchele<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">As Mayor Wendell Dunlap plans for the city&#39;s recovery, &quot;your prayers are appreciated,&quot; he said.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Before the announcement that the plant would close, Dunlap said he had thought about what would happen if the city lost one of its major companies.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But it was so massive that I don&#8217;t think I allowed myself to even think about it that much,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>He is now weighing the options for a city with a seriously reduced tax revenue, without the Cargill Plant.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s hard to cut enough to make up for all of these losses,&#8221; he said. He said the city will likely need to &#8220;either cut back on employees or cut back on where we spend our money. And then to offset that, more than likely, some tax rates are going to have to go up.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In the longer term, Dunlap is working on plans for Plainview&#8217;s recovery. That could include opening a technology training center at a local junior college, or attracting new businesses. Located more or less in between the larger cities of Lubbock and Amarillo, the mayor thinks Plainview may also have a future as a residential community for commuters.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the solution, Dunlap says the town will have to broaden its business base. If the town wasn&#8217;t so dependent on any one industry, it wouldn&#8217;t be subject to the boom and bust cycles that have wreaked havoc on so many Texas towns.<\/p>\n<h4>Bucking the Trends<\/h4>\n<p>When it comes to strategies for the region&#8217;s survival, Demographer Steve Murdock points out that the Plains of Texas are doing better than their agrarian neighbors.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"related-content alignleft\"><h4 class=\"related-header\">Related<\/h4><div class=\"links\"><h5>Posts<\/h5><ul><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/10\/17\/after-drought-some-texas-ranchers-wary-of-rebuilding\/\">After Drought, Some Texas Ranchers Wary of Rebuilding<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/02\/13\/what-you-can-do-about-climate-change\/\">What You Can Do About Climate Change<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/01\/24\/if-texas-water-plan-is-funded-where-will-the-money-go\/\">If Texas Water Plan Is Funded, Where Will The Money Go?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"topics\"><h5>Topics<\/h5><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2011\/11\/119835727-60x60.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/drought\/\">Everything You Need to Know About the Texas Drought<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>&#8220;If you take Amarillo and Lubbock and those areas, they have, relative to other parts of the Great Plains, done quite well in retaining population,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Some of that has to do with the Ogallala Aquifer. The water source that has supplied dependable irrigation to much of the region&#8217;s agriculture is now itself threatened by drought and overuse. But there are other industries in the region, if not always in Plainview itself. Some people who lost jobs at the beef processing plant could find work in the oil fields or wind farms to the south.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s even the off chance that the plant could re-open if the drought ends and cattle numbers rebound. But Mayor Dunlap says that would be years from now and no one is counting on it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re pretty much operating as if the plant won\u2019t reopen,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<h4>Making Plans<\/h4>\n<p>Across the railroad tracks north of town where the plant used to operate, planning for the future seems like an abstraction. The people are busy grieving for what they&#8217;ve lost.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24412\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Johnny Ray Muniz leaves his last shift at the Cargill Beef Processing Plant. \" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/johnny-edit1.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-24412\" title=\"johnny edit\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/johnny-edit1-300x238.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/johnny-edit1-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/02\/johnny-edit1.jpg 588w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Mose Buchele<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Johnny Ray Muniz leaves his last shift at the Cargill Beef Processing Plant.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>On one of the last days the plant was open, a group of grackle birds picked at bags of fast food littering the half-empty parking lot. A few empty beer cans marked the spot of what might have been a farewell toast, and Johnny Ray Muniz was getting off his last shift ever, carrying a certificate in a manila envelope, a &#8220;Valued Cargill Employee Award.&#8221;<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As he took it out to show it to me, a gust of wind picked it up and blew it a few yards, sending us scrambling to retrieve it.<\/p>\n<p>The certificate read:&#8221; Certificate of recognition is hereby awarded to Johnny Ray Muniz as a valued Cargill employee for six years.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Everyone matters, that\u2019s one positive thing,&#8221; said Ray Muniz.<strong><\/strong> The envelope had the number 479.<\/p>\n<p>Ray Muniz said he\u2019d like to stay in town if he can. But he isn\u2019t exactly sure what he will do.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Every time I make plans,&#8221; he said &#8220;it never turns out the way I want them to.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When the Cargill plant closed in Plainview, it took more than jobs with it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":24450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[59],"tags":[61],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24329"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}