Texas panhandle wildfire sets historic record

Mar 04, 2024

By Farms.com

The Texas Panhandle is facing an unprecedented challenge as a historic wildfire engulfs over 1 million acres, marking it as the largest wildfire in Texas history. This catastrophic event has resulted in the loss of two lives and significant agricultural damage, with up to 10,000 head of cattle lost to the flames.

With property losses estimated at $23 million, the disaster has mobilized a variety of resources and relief efforts, including the STAR Fund and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, to aid those impacted. The USDA's Emergency Relief Program also offers support, as detailed on relevant websites.

As the region braces for more challenging fire conditions, the Texas A&M Forest Service has issued warnings about the increased risk of wildfires due to the upcoming warmer, drier, and windier weather. This situation underscores the critical need for vigilance and preparedness in the face of natural disasters.

Community and state efforts are focused on providing immediate relief and support to those affected, while emphasizing the importance of safety precautions for all residents. The ongoing situation in the Texas Panhandle is a sobering reminder of the power of nature and the resilience required to rebuild and recover from such devastating events.

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

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