By Julie Vrazel Even the best laid plans can go horribly wrong. Nine months ago, my farmer fiancé and I bred our first-calf heifers to calving-ease bulls, which means we expected all of the calves to have low birth weights. But that wasn't the case Sunday afternoon as one of our heifers went into labor. [...]
By Julie Vrazel I don’t always enjoying making the weekly—sometimes more often—trip to the grocery store. A game plan is usually necessary. And once you’re at the store, you have to be aware of the other shoppers, hope the check-out line isn’t too long and pray the total bill is affordable. In a time when [...]
By Julie Vrazel T-shirts aren’t one-size-fits-all, so why should Texas agriculture be that way? The Lone Star State is uniquely different from the other 49 states in countless ways. Our state is growing exponentially as families relocate here, and oftentimes, we experience all four seasons in one day. Just as the people and weather are [...]
By Julie Vrazel Eating preferences—we all have them. Some choose to be vegetarians, while others pursue the vegan route. Then, there are folks—myself included—who are omnivores. Growing up on my family’s cow-calf operation in Central Texas, there was only one way to eat—a balanced meal that included meat and vegetables. But I was an open-minded [...]
By Julie Vrazel Spinach—the vegetable made popular by the fast-talking, squinty-eyed Popeye the Sailor Man—is packed with nutrients and grown right here in the Winter Garden area of Southwest Texas. This leafy, green crop is spread over 3,500 acres and grown by 14 farmers in this region of the Lone Star State. Ed Ritchie, a [...]
