From the ashes of the Texas wildfires, a possibility to feed ourselves better
Some farmers say the disastrous wildfires in the Texas Panhandle could provide an opening for a better way of producing and distributing our food. Plus, ranchers need your help now.
Competing for attention with all the chaos around the world last week were massive and deadly wildfires that scorched the Texas Panhandle. Acres and acres of agricultural land were affected, and the flames killed thousands of animals, many of them grazing cattle helpless to escape. Hundreds of buildings — homes, barns, and workplaces — have been destroyed, imperiling the lives and livelihoods of people in one of the most historic and important parts of the state. Several grain and seed operations have reported total losses.
“This is catastrophic,” says Texas Slim, who comes from a ranching family in Canyon, Texas, and is the founder of The Beef Initiative. “It will take years to overcome and it will definitely have an impact on both the US and the global beef industry.”
“These fires not only threaten lives and property but will also have a substantial impact on our agriculture industry,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in a press release. “Over 85% of the state’s cattle population is located on ranches in the panhandle. There are millions of cattle out there, with some towns comprising more cattle than people. The losses could be catastrophic for those counties.”
Rancher Shane Pennington recently told CNN (heartbreaking video below) that when the fires began, his concerns went straight to the welfare of the animals and not the potential loss of property. “I was more angry, I guess. Twenty years of, you know, taking care of this and it could all be gone.”
With more than one million acres burned, this is the largest wildfire ever to hit Texas and among the largest in US history. Texas Slim says it didn’t have to be this way: “I know ranchers that have lost everything.”
He says the convergence of land mismanagement and the relentless pursuit of profit-driven agriculture has exacerbated the scale of this disaster. The hyper-commodification of agriculture contributed to depleted soil fertility and drained aquifers.
If there’s anything positive to draw out of the tragedy, he says this may be an opportunity for ranchers to pivot to regenerative inputs and sustainable farming practices to help put American agriculture back on a more ecological and profitable path. “The cow is our best land tool,” Slim says, adding that the way the beef industry responds and pulls together to address this disaster and plan for the future will have far-reaching impacts on our food supply going forward.
“We can bounce back from this,” he says. “But we have to act fast.” He says ranchers have about a 90-day window to regrow the forage they will need to support next year’s herds. He is hoping ranchers and farmers will overcome their fear of doing things differently, seize the moment, and adopt more restorative practices.
Collapse Life recently spoke to Joel Salatin, one of the giants in the sustainable food movement, and he echoed Slim’s concerns, explaining that what stops many farmers from making the move from mechanized and commodified farming to a more regenerative approach is a sense of peer dependency and fear of the unknown.
Most farmers today grew up in an age when farming was completely dominated by chemicals, and by industrial and mechanical technology. “Biology is considered fundamentally mechanical,” Salatin says, “and that to me is the single biggest worldview or mindset difference.”
Both Salatin and Slim agree that the power to drive change lies with consumers, who have a huge role to play in helping shift agriculture back towards a more natural and earth-friendly path.
“Farmers are not going to make this transition en masse,” Salatin says. “The cultural catalyst for this is the food buyer, it's not the farmer. Farmers have always met the market. If you want more chicken, we grow more chicken. If you want more carrots, we'll grow more carrots. Farmers have always adapted to the marketplace, and so the driver seat in this is the consumer.”
By demanding and supporting regenerative agriculture, consumers can drive the shift towards a more balanced relationship with our land and a better outlook on where our food comes from. The path to recovery for Texas ranchers will be challenging, but it’s also paved with promise.
In the meantime, brace yourself for higher beef prices and the continued onslaught by multinationals to push ‘alternative’ proteins as part of the ongoing war on meat and the move to force people to change their diets. If you’re feeling moved by the plight of farmers, who work day-in and day-out to keep food on our shelves, visit the texasfirerelief.com website and pledge your support.
Lovely substack.
This is called Geoengineering destroying everything! I wish people would wake up. None of this weather or fires is normal.