News

During this month we wanted to highlight staples of Texas economy and culture: Texas ranches and farms. The practice of farming dates back all the way to the old European countries. Livestock ranching in Texas began in the late 1600s with the early Spanish settlers who brought in stock with their Entradas. Since then, the Texas ranching industry has changed drastically. On many ranches, hunting leases have replaced cattle raising and crop farming. The growth of commercial feedlots, sophisticated slaughter & meat-packing industries, spreading use of computers, hi-tech machinery, and search for export markets have all changed the old Texas “ranchero” identity. Nevertheless, Texas is still the leading state in the number of farms and ranches with 185,000. It is also the leader in total farm and ranch land with over 129 million acres. Some of the more well-known Texas ranches are the King Ranch, the Waggoner Ranch, and the O’Conner Ranch. Here at EPI, President and CEO, Rudi Rodriguez, owns “Rancho Colorado del Norte” just 45 minutes southwest of San Antonio which hosts an annual dove hunt in September. As Texans, we are proud of our state’s rich ranching & farming history. We wish our state’s ranches and farms continued prosperity.