Tidy rows of pine trees grow where cattle once grazed through the rolling hills of East Texas.
Housing developments and lignite mines have swallowed prime pasture land.
Around Longview, cows and calves are dotting fewer landscapes, and local ranchers blame rising costs, fluctuating markets and changing lifestyles for pushing people from cattle production, a rural business with long ties to East Texas.
“The older generation is passing on, and the younger ones don’t pick it up,” said Byron Ford, a Hallsville rancher who runs the Longview Livestock Commission sale barn. “There’s not a lot of money in it, and it’s hard work.”
The number of cattle in the area has fallen by nearly half in the past three decades, but it’s hard to tell that on a Thursday in Longview. That’s when the livestock commission holds its weekly auction, where men in denim shirts and wide-brimmed hats still gather around the cafe at the sale barn just as they always have.
They chew on chicken-fried steak and shoot the breeze. Later, they’ll wander the catwalk high above the holding pens, inspecting the week’s offering. There will be breeding bulls, horses and goats, as well as heifers destined for somebody’s pasture and yearlings and worn-out mama cows destined for the feed lots and slaughter houses out west.
Among the onlookers will be only a handful of serious buyers. Though several East Texans still run large operations, many say they hold onto a few head of cattle as a hobby or for nostalgia. They’re just happy to break even on the endeavor.
“Most of our clients will be people with smaller herds. They’ve been in it forever and were raised in it,” Ford said. “It gets in you. People do it because they’ve always done it.”
Longview’s sale barn was built in the 1960s. There are other sale barns operating around East Texas, including ones in Carthage and Henderson. Ford expects that sales have slowed at all of the East Texas auction houses, and he said he wouldn’t be surprised if some begin to close in the years to come.
“If our numbers don’t pick up, everybody can’t stay in it,” he said.
A small-timer’s habit
These days, most small-time ranchers hold other jobs to pay the bills.
Among them is Danny Jordan, who retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture after 36 years and now runs a small herd and hauls cattle for a rural sale barn on the weekends.
“Back when I was a kid, back in the ’50s, that was when East Texas was fencing up, and my granddad had a few old cows. It wasn’t nothing because everybody had a few head of cattle,” he said. “Now it has evolved over the years that we have either got some big operators or we’ve got a lot of small operators like me that have a town job to support their habit.”
In the early part of the 20th century, Jordan said, many rural East Texans grew crops for their livelihood. Following World War II, they converted to cattle production. They didn’t have massive spreads like those found in cattle-producing areas of South and West Texas.
“The problem over here in East Texas is everybody’s got 80 acres of land,” he said. “We don’t have any real big landowners. As the cattle industry evolved over the years to better types of cattle, better breeding and better feeding, we had to expand or go out, and there was just so many people here, and I’m exactly what they are.
“Everybody had 75 to 100 acres, and it wasn’t enough to run cattle full time,” he said. “There wasn’t enough money there so they had to go to town and get a job.”
Jordan runs around 60 head of cattle on 92 acres in Laneville.
“I’m so small-time it’s ridiculous, but that’s what I want to do,” he said. “I don’t want to go fishing.”
Fewer cattle, more people?
The USDA figures that show a declining cattle population in East Texas might not tell the complete story, according to Greg Clary, an economist at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton.
“There may be less cattle, but that doesn’t mean there are less people involved,” he said. “We have so many small herds in East Texas and across the South, there’s just a lot of people that have some cows.”
Clary is among several Texas A&M experts who are leading a “grazing school” this week at the Overton facility, in which greenhorns learn about forage management, genetics and other basics of livestock production. Clary, who is also chairman of the Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, said some small producers still make money from their cattle.
“The possibility is there,” he said. “There are more people that are not making money than are, but there are some that do make money. But you have to really pay attention to all the management aspects of it and keep track of what’s going on from a production standpoint and a cost standpoint.”
Back at the sale barn
Before Thursday’s auction began in Longview, a long line of trucks waited to unload their livestock for the noon sale. Around 600 head of cattle were expected to pass through the auction gates that day, and Art Dudley was next in line to drop off a dozen head.
Dudley, a full-time cattle producer in the Henderson area, said he was just doing what he has always done.
“It’s what I like,” he said. “I don’t want to work for anybody else.”
3,502 responses to “Cattle ranchers dwindling in East Texas”
relaxing jazz piano
coffee music
Something else is that when evaluating a good internet electronics retail outlet, look for online shops that are continuously updated, always keeping up-to-date with the latest products, the most effective deals, along with helpful information on goods and services. This will ensure that you are dealing with a shop which stays on top of the competition and provides you what you need to make intelligent, well-informed electronics expenditures. Thanks for the important tips I’ve learned through the blog.
I’ve learned some new things from the blog post. One more thing to I have discovered is that usually, FSBO sellers will certainly reject anyone. Remember, they’d prefer to not ever use your expert services. But if a person maintain a reliable, professional relationship, offering guide and staying in contact for four to five weeks, you will usually be able to win a discussion. From there, a listing follows. Thanks
Some tips i have observed in terms of personal computer memory is always that there are specs such as SDRAM, DDR and many others, that must match up the specific features of the motherboard. If the computer’s motherboard is pretty current while there are no os issues, upgrading the memory literally usually takes under an hour. It’s among the list of easiest personal computer upgrade procedures one can envision. Thanks for revealing your ideas.
Great article. It’s very unfortunate that over the last ten years, the travel industry has already been able to to take on terrorism, SARS, tsunamis, bird flu, swine flu, as well as the first ever entire global recession. Through it all the industry has proven to be solid, resilient and dynamic, getting new strategies to deal with hardship. There are generally fresh troubles and opportunity to which the business must again adapt and answer.
Thanks for this article. I might also like to talk about the fact that it can be hard when you are in school and starting out to initiate a long credit history. There are many pupils who are just trying to survive and have an extended or good credit history can be a difficult issue to have.
Definitely consider that that you stated. Your favourite justification appeared to be at the net the simplest factor to keep in mind of. I say to you, I certainly get irked even as people think about concerns that they plainly do not understand about. You managed to hit the nail upon the highest and also defined out the whole thing without having side-effects , other folks could take a signal. Will likely be again to get more. Thanks
Aw, this was a very nice post. In thought I would like to put in writing like this additionally ? taking time and actual effort to make an excellent article? however what can I say? I procrastinate alot and not at all seem to get one thing done.
Thanks for the helpful posting. It is also my opinion that mesothelioma has an incredibly long latency interval, which means that warning signs of the disease won’t emerge right up until 30 to 50 years after the 1st exposure to mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma, that is certainly the most common kind and affects the area round the lungs, will cause shortness of breath, torso pains, and a persistent coughing, which may cause coughing up bloodstream.
Howdy! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came to take a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Great blog and excellent design and style.
Thanks for your tips about this blog. Just one thing I would choose to say is that often purchasing electronic products items over the Internet is not new. In fact, in the past ten years alone, the marketplace for online electronics has grown considerably. Today, you can get practically any type of electronic device and other gadgets on the Internet, from cameras and also camcorders to computer spare parts and video gaming consoles.
Its such as you learn my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, such as you wrote the guide in it or something. I think that you just could do with some p.c. to pressure the message home a little bit, however other than that, this is excellent blog. An excellent read. I will certainly be back.
I do like the manner in which you have presented this specific concern and it does provide us some fodder for consideration. On the other hand, from what I have seen, I simply just hope as the feedback stack on that men and women keep on point and don’t start on a soap box involving the news du jour. All the same, thank you for this excellent point and although I do not necessarily agree with the idea in totality, I respect your viewpoint.
I believe one of your advertisements caused my browser to resize, you might want to put that on your blacklist.
Fantastic web site. Plenty of useful information here. I am sending it to several friends ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks for your effort!
It is indeed my belief that mesothelioma is definitely the most fatal cancer. It has unusual qualities. The more I actually look at it the greater I am convinced it does not respond like a true solid tissues cancer. In case mesothelioma is usually a rogue virus-like infection, in that case there is the potential for developing a vaccine in addition to offering vaccination for asbestos exposed people who are vulnerable to high risk with developing future asbestos linked malignancies. Thanks for giving your ideas about this important ailment.
There are definitely plenty of details like that to take into consideration. That could be a great level to convey up. I offer the ideas above as basic inspiration but clearly there are questions just like the one you bring up where a very powerful factor will probably be working in honest good faith. I don?t know if greatest practices have emerged round issues like that, however I’m certain that your job is clearly recognized as a fair game. Both boys and girls really feel the affect of just a second?s pleasure, for the remainder of their lives.
Great work! This is the type of info that should be shared around the web. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher! Come on over and visit my site . Thanks =)
Whats up this is somewhat of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding knowledge so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
It is my belief that mesothelioma can be the most lethal cancer. It contains unusual characteristics. The more I look at it the more I am certain it does not work like a true solid flesh cancer. If mesothelioma is often a rogue viral infection, in that case there is the chance for developing a vaccine plus offering vaccination for asbestos uncovered people who are at high risk connected with developing long term asbestos related malignancies. Thanks for expressing your ideas on this important ailment.
I believe that avoiding highly processed foods is a first step so that you can lose weight. They might taste beneficial, but ready-made foods have very little vitamins and minerals, making you take more in order to have enough vigor to get with the day. In case you are constantly feeding on these foods, switching to whole grain products and other complex carbohydrates will let you have more vigor while eating less. Thanks alot : ) for your blog post.
Thanks for your post on the vacation industry. I will also like to include that if your senior thinking about traveling, its absolutely imperative that you buy travel insurance for retirees. When traveling, retirees are at greatest risk of getting a health-related emergency. Getting the right insurance policy package to your age group can safeguard your health and give you peace of mind.
I really like your wp design, where would you down load it from?
Thanks for your article. One other thing is that if you are promoting your property alone, one of the difficulties you need to be aware of upfront is when to deal with house inspection accounts. As a FSBO supplier, the key towards successfully transferring your property in addition to saving money about real estate agent revenue is awareness. The more you realize, the more stable your property sales effort will be. One area that this is particularly critical is assessments.
soothing piano music
Spot on with this write-up, I really suppose this web site needs way more consideration. I?ll probably be again to learn much more, thanks for that info.
Just wish to say your article is as amazing. The clarity in your post is just excellent and i could assume you’re an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue the gratifying work.
I have come to understand that costs for online degree experts tend to be an awesome value. For instance a full Bachelors Degree in Communication from The University of Phoenix Online consists of Sixty credits from $515/credit or $30,900. Also American Intercontinental University Online offers a Bachelors of Business Administration with a overall study course requirement of 180 units and a worth of $30,560. Online learning has made getting your college diploma so much easier because you can earn your own degree through the comfort of your abode and when you finish working. Thanks for all the other tips I have learned through the web site.
Very great post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wished to mention that I have truly enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I will be subscribing in your feed and I am hoping you write once more very soon!
Usually I don’t read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice article.
Hello there, You’ve done an incredible job. I?ll definitely digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I am sure they will be benefited from this website.
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my website thus i came to ?return the favor?.I’m attempting to find things to improve my web site!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
Thanks for another informative web site. Where else could I get that type of info written in such a perfect way? I have a project that I’m just now working on, and I have been on the look out for such information.
Another thing I have noticed is always that for many people, bad credit is the result of circumstances past their control. For example they may are already saddled by having an illness so that they have substantial bills going to collections. It would be due to a job loss or inability to work. Sometimes divorce can truly send the money in an opposite direction. Thanks for sharing your opinions on this site.
You made some first rate points there. I looked on the internet for the difficulty and located most individuals will go along with with your website.
I am not sure where you are getting your info, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for great info I was looking for this info for my mission.
F*ckin? remarkable things here. I?m very glad to see your article. Thanks a lot and i’m looking forward to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?
musica treino
fantastic post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector do not notice this. You must continue your writing. I’m confident, you’ve a huge readers’ base already!
Hiya very cool website!! Man .. Excellent .. Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds additionally?I’m satisfied to seek out so many useful info here in the post, we’d like develop more techniques on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
Interesting article. It is rather unfortunate that over the last 10 years, the travel industry has already been able to to handle terrorism, SARS, tsunamis, bird flu virus, swine flu, and also the first ever real global tough economy. Through everything the industry has really proven to be robust, resilient as well as dynamic, finding new strategies to deal with difficulty. There are continually fresh troubles and opportunities to which the field must yet again adapt and act in response.
Hello there, You’ve done an excellent job. I will certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I’m confident they will be benefited from this site.
I just added this site to my rss reader, great stuff. Can not get enough!
I’ve noticed that repairing credit activity has to be conducted with tactics. If not, chances are you’ll find yourself destroying your positioning. In order to succeed in fixing to your credit rating you have to make sure that from this moment in time you pay your entire monthly expenses promptly in advance of their slated date. It’s really significant simply because by not really accomplishing so, all other measures that you will choose to use to improve your credit position will not be powerful. Thanks for expressing your ideas.
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this weblog and I’m impressed! Very helpful info particularly the ultimate section 🙂 I deal with such information a lot. I used to be looking for this certain info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.
I?ve read some good stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much effort you put to create such a magnificent informative website.
Link exchange is nothing else however it is simply placing the other person’s weblog link on your page at suitable place and other person will
also do same in favor of you.
Usually I do not read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thanks, quite nice article.
Wonderful beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your website, how could i subscribe for a blog web site? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear idea