This year was another one for the books.

It was a year of drought, triple-digit temperatures and high input costs.

Farmers and ranchers finally saw a little relief from the drought with rains early in the summer, only to face another dry spell.

A spike of avian influenza and inflation drove up egg prices, hitting a high of $4.82 in January.  

Grocery prices continued to rise, too.

Sounds like 2023 was a lot of fun, right?

It wasn’t the easiest year, but there are plenty of reasons to be grateful.

Supply chain issues were addressed by the SHIP IT Act, which was introduced to expand the trucking workforce and offer more flexibility.

Fertilizer prices made slight improvements.

The Lone Star State did receive some rain.

Texas agriculture saw a big win when voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 1, enshrining the right to farm and ranch in the Texas Constitution.

Texas Farm Bureau celebrated its 90th anniversary at the annual meeting in Frisco.

It was a year of good and bad. Agriculture, like life, is not exempt to challenges. But farmers and ranchers always persevere. One crop, one herd at a time.

They know how to take the bad alongside the good and to look for the best in each day they’re given. To be thankful for good health, safe families, the satisfaction of a hard day’s work well done.

Here’s to 2024. May it be a year filled with good health, good days, good yields and many blessings.