Times Are Changing

Times are changing for the Texas Cattle industry; increasingly older ranchers are exiting the industry, with fewer and fewer of the younger generation taking their place. Drought and increasing feed prices drive ranchers out of the sector; Texas is the largest beef-producing state, and our economy hurts with ranchers leaving the industry. According to the USDA, 660,000 head of cattle disappeared from Texas in 2011. Ron Gill is quoted in the article saying, "With the cow herd at such a critically low level, Texas will start to lose infrastructure if cow numbers do not increase soon." One young man is challenging the curve, though; Daniel Bowles, a rancher in the Fort Worth area, is running two herds on his ranch that are helping fight the declining Texas cattle industry. Daniel uses one herd as beef production cattle and the other to continue to grow his herd. Unlike most of today's younger generation, Bowles has the work ethic to fund his cattle ranch, working multiple jobs. Bowles works in sale barns three days a week as an hourly ring hand, buying cattle for other ranchers. With these two sources of income, along with his 1,000 head of calves that he raises for six months before selling and his 50 head of breeding cattle, Bowles can bring in over six figures a year. Their work ethic has brought Bowles a long way, but he is also a TCU ranch management program graduate. Texas needs more young ranchers to help fill the void in our beef cattle industry. If this does not happen soon, we may quickly see the end of cattle ranches in Texas.

FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM. (2012, May 6). livestock industry - Young Texans turn backs on ranching life. User account. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news%2F13EA1BD775663E08