It is no secret that people need three things to survive: food, water, and air. All three of the basic necessities of life are benefitted by the rural lands of Texas. In 2014, rural lands formed 83 percent of Texas’ land mass, meaning a large percentage of the land is allocated for working lands or forests. Although 2014 was only a few years ago, there has been a long- term declining trend of rural lands in our state. From 1997 to 2012, Texas lost over 1 million acres of rural land (Vanetta & Satjia, 2014).With the advancement of technology and growing suburbanization, this number will continue to grow. Because small, family operated farms and ranches are having a hard time staying in business, lands that were once used for these purposes are …show more content…
Agriculture is one of Texas’ most important industries. The Texas food supply depends on the eggs, milk, cotton, and wheat produced by this business. Cattle alone brings in millions of dollars from sales to other states and countries. In 2016, crops in Texas totaled about 8.8 million dollars in revenue (United States Department of Agriculture, 2018). Texas is one of the largest food producers in the United States. With the decline of rural lands, the ability to make the same amount of food as before declines. Not only will the economy suffer with lower agricultural production, but the farms and ranches that inspired the Rodeo suffer as well. Some of these businesses are family run and have been passed down through the generations. Ranches such as King Ranch and Waggoner Ranch have been around since the nineteenth century. Decades of traditions in these families will be lost if this industry continues to decline. The decline of rural lands threatens the food supply along with the cowboy culture that defines …show more content…
Texas is home to natural element supplies like graphite, bromine, and sulfur. More than only elements are the “191,000 miles of rivers and streams, seven major estuaries and approximately 200 major springs” (Hughes, 2015). These fresh water supplies are vital for the survival of plants, animals, and people. With the declination of rural lands, these water supplies provide less for the natural environment and serve more as benefits to property value when building a neighborhood. Our natural resources also fuel our nationally leading energy industry. In 2016 Texas produced about one third of the nation’s crude oil, more than any other single state created. About 25 percent of the country’s natural gas reserves are located in our state which is used to produce about 50 percent of the state’s electricity. Power plants fueled by coal produced about 25 percent of the state’s electricity, and wind power accounted for about 12.5 percent. Right under wind power is the increasing use of solar panels for electricity. As the world turns to more renewable sources of energy, the state also has the potential to increase the use of hydroelectric and geothermal resources (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2018). Using these sources of renewable energy benefit the planet as it lessens the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and benefits the Texas economy. Rural lands provide the area needed to harvest these natural resources. The water needs
Ashton, John. "KENEDY, MIFFLIN." 15 June 2010. Handbook of Texas Online. Web. 5 May 2014. .
Texas is the second largest state in the country and there are four different geographical regions: the Gulf coastal plain, the interior lowlands, Great Plains, and the basin and range province, Each region has contributed to the economic development of the state. The Texas
As history cascades through an hourglass, the changing, developmental hands of time are shrouded throughout American history. This ever-changing hourglass of time is reflected in the process of maturation undertaken by western America in the late nineteenth century. Change, as defined by Oxford’s Dictionary, is “To make or become different through alteration or modification.” The notion of change is essential when attempting to unwind the economic make-up of Kansas in the 1880’s and 1890’s. Popular culture often reveres the American cowboy, which has led him to become the predominate figure in America’s “westering” experience (Savage, p3). However, by 1880 the cowboy had become a mythical figure rather than a presence in western life. The era of the cowboy roaming the Great Plains had past and farmers now sought to become the culturally dominant figure and force in the American West. Unlike the cowboys, farmers were able to evolved, organizing and establishing the Populist Party. The farmers’ newly formed political organization provided them with a voice, which mandated western reform. Furthermore, the populist ideas spread quickly and dominated western thought in the 1880’s and 1890’s. The period of the 1880’s and 1890’s marked the end of the American cowboy and gave farmers a political stronghold that would forever impact the modernization of the West.
When looking at the vast lands of Texas after the Civil War, many different people came to the lands in search for new opportunities and new wealth. Many were lured by the large area that Texas occupied for they wanted to become ranchers and cattle herders, of which there was great need for due to the large population of cows and horses. In this essay there are three different people with three different goals in the adventures on the frontier lands of Texas in its earliest days. Here we have a woman's story as she travels from Austin to Fort Davis as we see the first impressions of West Texas. Secondly, there is a very young African American who is trying his hand at being a horse rancher, which he learned from his father. Lastly we have a Mexican cowboy who tries to fight his way at being a ranch hand of a large ranching outfit.
The expansion of agriculture and railroads helped form Texas’s present economy. The invention of the steam engine not only allowed people to move across the country in 7 days, instead of 6 months, but it also allowed crops and livestock to be carried to markets and places where they would be sold anywhere in the country. They could be moved to another farm in Texas as well. Since it’s such a large state, railroads were a necessity for travel, and general transportation. The railroad-building boom lasted 40 years. The production of cotton in Texas introduced some of the first slave-based cotton farms, and was the dominant crop for a very long time. After this event, Texas’s economy was forever changed.
Wind energy, on the other hand, is where Kansas excels. According to American Wind Energy Association the central states through Kansas and down to Texas are the leading states in wind energy (Wind Energy and Wildlife). We are the windiest states of America, so we would gain more from wind energy than solar
Texas, with its abundances of natural resources, is facing a new demon, one that doesn’t even seem possible, a shortage of water. Water, without it nothing can survive. Texas is the second largest state for landmass in the nation and ninth for water square miles. Within the borders of Texas are more than 100 lakes, 14 major rivers, and 23 aquifers, so why has water become such an important issue for the state? Politicians and conservationists all agree that without a new working water plan, the state could be facing one of the most damaging environmental disasters they have ever seen. The issues that shape the states positions are population growth, current drought conditions, and who actually owns the water.
Texas has a total land area of 261,914 square miles- making it the second largest state in the United States. Combined with a diverse geography, Texas has one of the most varied climates of any state. As the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increases year by year, causing an increase in the Earth’s average overall temperature, changes in our climate are inevitable. We will investigate how those changes will affect the life of the everyday Texan - from our water resources, to our cities and why they are important issues that need to be addressed by our society.
Tirman, John. "The future of the American frontier" American Scholar 78.1 (2009): 30+. Academic OneFile. Web. 9 June 2010.
As the twentieth century approached, America was experiencing a time of considerable expansion. All eyes were looking for ways to make the United States a larger, more powerful, and more efficient country. Because of this wave in American society, there was no movement given more devotion than the settling of the West. The range-cattle industry in its various aspects, and in its importance to the United States and particularly to the Great Plains, has been a subject of focus to Americans since its origin in the mid 1800's. This industry was rendered possible by such factors as vast sections of fertile land, the rise of heavy industry involving the great demand for beef, and projected commercial tributaries, such as railroad lines across the frontier. The West was turning toward the future - A future that held industrial promises of high monetary rewards as well as a valuable addition to a growing America. However, like any other industry, the West needed a labor force. Workers with special skills and qualities were necessary to support a booming new frontier. Previously untaught skills such as riding, roping, and branding could not simply be acquired by the average American. Athletic, rugged men were needed to settle the West. However, these men also needed inborn courage and quick thinking to utilize these skills effectively. The general public, however, under the influence of decades of "Western" movies and television shows have created an imagery of these "men of the west" or "cowboys" that is extremely inaccurate. American society has come to regard these settlers as the purest and noblest Anglo-Saxons. In reality, a great portion of the work contributed towards the settling of the western frontier was performed by minorities, largely consisting of African Americans.
The effect from both the Dust Bowl drought and the Great Depression made it hard on farmers in the early 1900’s; it was hard for farmers to produce crops (“The Ultimate AP US History”). Farmers with small businesses were forced to end
The Roaring Twenties approached and the citizens in Colorado were facing rough times. In 1920, many people such as farm owners, manufacturers, and even miners were having a hard time making a living due to an economic downfall. The farmers especially, where facing the toughest of times. The price of various farm-grown goods like wheat, sugar beets, and even cattle was dropping because their goods were no longer needed by the public. Wheat had dropped in price from $2.02 in 1918 to $0.76 by the time 1921 came around. Sadly, the land that they were using to grow wheat became dry and many farmers had to learn to grow through “dryland farming” which became very popular in the eastern plains from 1910 to 1930 (Hard Times: 1920 - 1940). Apple trees began to die due to the lack of desire for apples, poor land, and decreased prices. Over the course of World War I, the prices of farm goods began to increase slowly. Farmers were not the only one facing this economic hardship while others in big cities were enjoying the Roaring Twenties.
Farming is a huge boon to the local economy. Ninety-six percent of all American farms owned are family owned farms. The average farmer provides food for one hundred and fifty-five American families. When a community buys local, homegrown foods they support their families while also contributing to the towns economy and family
Because of farming becoming uneconomic, many farmers have been forced to leave their land. People such as recreation or forestry later use the land. They also affect it and alter how it looks. Examples of this happening are like in the Lake District or the highlands of Scotland. There are key areas where farming is creating problems for the rural landscape.
Thompson, Paul B. and Stout, Bill A. Beyond The Large Farm. Westview Press, Inc.: Colorado 1991