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.”
5,816 responses to “Cattle ranchers dwindling in East Texas”
I could not refrain from commenting. Perfectly written.
This page certainly has all of the information and facts I needed concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
sapphire hair clinic
?aban çelebi
clinicplast
clinicplast
I used to be able to find good information from your blog posts.
May I just say what a comfort to find somebody that genuinely knows what they’re discussing on the internet. You certainly understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people have to look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you’re not more popular because you certainly possess the gift.
doku clinic
doku clinic
You are so awesome! I don’t think I have read a single thing like this before. So great to find somebody with a few original thoughts on this topic. Seriously.. thanks for starting this up. This site is one thing that’s needed on the internet, someone with a bit of originality.
maral
adem köse
deniz küçükkaya
Spot on with this write-up, I really feel this website needs far more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the advice!
doku clinic
doku clinic
crabs media
Your style is very unique compared to other folks I have read stuff from. I appreciate you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this site.
You should be a part of a contest for one of the greatest websites online. I’m going to recommend this web site!
An intriguing discussion is definitely worth comment. I do think that you need to publish more on this topic, it may not be a taboo subject but typically people don’t talk about such topics. To the next! All the best.
This is the right blog for anybody who wishes to understand this topic. You know so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a topic that has been written about for years. Excellent stuff, just wonderful.
I’m amazed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s equally educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The issue is something which not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I found this during my search for something relating to this.
Thank you for another informative blog. Where else could I get that type of info written in such an ideal way? I have a project that I am just now working on, and I’ve been on the look out for such info.
I am grateful for your post. I would really like to write my opinion that the tariff of car insurance varies greatly from one insurance plan to another, since there are so many different issues which contribute to the overall cost. By way of example, the brand name of the car or truck will have an enormous bearing on the cost. A reliable outdated family vehicle will have a lower priced premium when compared to a flashy racecar.
We’re a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community. Your website offered us with valuable information to work on. You’ve done an impressive job and our whole community will be thankful to you.
Hello there! This article could not be written much better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I’ll send this information to him. Fairly certain he’s going to have a very good read. Thanks for sharing!
This is a topic which is near to my heart… Thank you! Exactly where can I find the contact details for questions?
bookmarked!!, I love your website.
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your web site in internet explorer, would test this? IE still is the market leader and a big portion of people will miss your great writing because of this problem.
I was able to find good information from your content.
You ought to take part in a contest for one of the greatest blogs on the web. I most certainly will recommend this web site!
I need to to thank you for this excellent read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked to check out new things you post…
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Very well written.
There’s definately a lot to find out about this subject. I really like all the points you made.
I truly love your blog.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you build this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my own personal website and would love to find out where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called. Kudos!
Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Thanks, However I am encountering issues with your RSS. I don’t understand why I am unable to subscribe to it. Is there anybody else getting similar RSS issues? Anyone who knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanks!
medart istanbul
mehmet emrre dinç
crabs media
crabs media
This site was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me. Thank you.
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon every day. It will always be useful to read through articles from other writers and practice something from their websites.
Everything is very open with a precise description of the issues. It was truly informative. Your site is useful. Many thanks for sharing!
I blog frequently and I truly appreciate your information. This article has truly peaked my interest. I will book mark your site and keep checking for new information about once a week. I opted in for your Feed too.
I seriously love your blog.. Excellent colors & theme. Did you develop this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m attempting to create my own personal website and would like to learn where you got this from or what the theme is named. Appreciate it!
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I believe that you should write more about this subject, it might not be a taboo matter but usually folks don’t discuss such issues. To the next! Kind regards!
It’s difficult to find knowledgeable people on this subject, but you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Everything is very open with a very clear clarification of the issues. It was definitely informative. Your site is very useful. Thank you for sharing.
bast