by Texas Homesteader ~ 

The drought of 2011 was a hard one on our Texas ranch but somehow we struggled through.  However the subsequent consecutive year of drought in 2012 forced us to sell off some of our hand-picked registered cattle in order to assure there was grazing and water available for our remaining herd.

Thankfully the winter rains came and replenished our ponds. We were able to get through that year by utilizing stocker animals to add to or take off our pastures as the grass came and went during the seasons.

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Like many of our ag friends here in NE Texas we’ve suffered through two consecutive years of drought. Due to the heat & lack of rain there has been wide-spread damage to our trees. Our cedars were hit particularly hard and we lost about 80% of them, but our other trees were weakened as well.

In their compromised state, last years unforgiving weather pushed many of them over the edge and we had a heavy die-off of our trees.

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The dry brittle grass crunches beneath my boots as I walk toward the Bermuda-grass pasture to survey the grass there. Today is the day I’ll move the girls, the south pasture needs a rest. A worried glance is cast at the blazing Texas August sky, looking for hope of moisture but seeing none.

With a sigh, the gate is opened and the cows are moved to the new grazing area, dry but still nutritious. I’m sure this scene is being played over and over throughout the parched dry plains this summer. Praying for rain!