By Mike Barnett

Total devastation visited Fleming Grain and Cattle Company Thursday evening. The storms that rolled through Texas that day damaged and destroyed thousands of acres of corn and wheat on several farms in Bell and Falls counties and other parts of the state as well.

The year started with promise for farmers like Robert Fleming. His crops looked good. It was a bit dry, however, and he was optimistic for the moisture Thursday’s cold front would bring. He didn’t bargain for the pea-sized hail driven by straight-line winds that peppered the crops like a mini-machine gun.

By Regan Beck

We know that Texas water is a precious resource. We’ve watched our pastures dry up and crops wither following the epic drought we’ve just endured (and continue to see, in many parts of the state). But one U.S. District Court judge wants to restrict our water even more.

U.S. District Court Judge Janis Graham Jack recently sided with an environmental group in its case against the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the San Antonio River Authority, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and the Texas Chemical Council. The case accuses the agencies of water management practices that led to the deaths of 23 whooping cranes.

By Gene Hall

Here in Texas, we nervously watch the skies and the weather reports to see if we can get a clue as to how much rain we’ll get soon and even later on. When a Texan tells you, “What a beautiful day!,” chances are it’s raining.

What does this mean for food prices? I get asked that all the time, and the truth is, I don’t know. It won’t surprise you that I do have an opinion. I think we’ll be okay. Not perfect, but okay.

By Mike Barnett

The certainty for Texans of fresh, unlimited and cheap water is being flushed down the toilet as the recent (and current) drought has left many cities high and dry in a search to provide for their residents.

A growing realization that we must act now to ensure future supplies has cities like Brownwood considering a water treatment system that will recycle what goes down the bowl through the faucet in the kitchen sink.

By Billy Howe

Danny Reible’s op-ed in the Houston Chronicle on May 29 was a curious mixture of “right on target” and “Hey Danny, you’ve got to be kidding.”

First of all, agriculture is committed to efficient water use, and he is correct that a public investment in developing that technology would be very productive. However, Mr. Reible is way off the mark when he suggests agricultural irrigation, which is mostly groundwater, will be responsible for future water shortages in the high-growth areas of Texas.