Texas Table Top—Celebrating the foods, places and people of the Lone Star State.

farmers and ranchers

/Tag:farmers and ranchers

Why do farmers farm?

By Michelle Hochstein Hot summer night. A storm rolls in. Heavy downpours. Hail. The farmer fears the worst. And he’s right. His cotton is shredded. Another profit lost. January. Snow on the ground. 15 degrees. A howling wind makes it feel below zero. Hammer in hand, the rancher breaks ice. The cattle have to drink. [...]

June 30, 2015|Categories: Featured, Texas Agriculture|Tags: , |1 Comment

Transformation Tuesday: Wheat field to kitchen table

By Michelle Hochstein Fresh bread, warm from the oven. Cereal, morning or midnight. Flour to bake a cake. Noodles for spaghetti. What do all of these have in common? Wheat. It’s the primary grain used in foods we love to eat. Pastries. Crackers. And don’t forget tortillas. In fact, about three-quarters of all U.S. grain-based [...]

Texas agriculture still has red barn values

By Julie Tomascik Red barns. They’re an iconic symbol of agriculture. A mark of simpler times, hard work and family. Those barns represent smaller farms and ranches. With many crops and a few cows, pigs and chickens. But they also represent values of Texas agriculture—care and shelter for livestock, safe food and doing what’s best [...]

Are all farmers rich?

By Jessica Domel Some think farmers are rich. Others say they’re poor. Who’s right? The answer is both. People see our family farm and others like it and think, “They own all that land. They must be rich!” Some farmers inherit their land, like we did, from generations long gone. Some bought it in a [...]

Chipotle: Marketing machine or responsible food supplier?

By Julie Tomascik No more GMOs? That’s the route Chipotle announced it’s taking. Because the burrito giant wants to sell food with “integrity.” I admire that. But I don’t admire the fear-driven marketing scheme that misleads consumers like you and me. The marketing plan they use 365 days a year. Chipotle wants you to believe [...]