Worried about the impacts drought and extreme heat will have on income, some South Texas farmers say they are planting on fewer acres.
Mitch Hagney shows a yield of tomatoes at the Food Bank Farm in Mission San Juan on Wednesday morning.In Southwest San Antonio, more than 50 farmers and ranchers are coping with what isWorried about the impacts the drought will have on their income, some farmers in rural South Texas have decreased the number of acres they farm so there’s enough water for irrigation and planting drought-tolerant crops.
If it doesn’t rain soon in the Southwest, Stein said farmers will have to plant fewer crops because there won’t be water to plant them. Food grown at the farm goes to the food bank farmer’s markets, where seniors and women with children get vouchers to get free food, to distribution events and gourmet area restaurants. Local restaurants also buy this produce from the food bank.
The peach orchard at the Food Bank Farm in Mission San Juan on Wednesday morning. The crop yield of peaches has declined due to challenges related to climate change.Warm winters haven’t provided sufficient chill hours, stressing out the plant because it’s sugary, susceptible to fungus and pests. The food bank wants to emphasize resilient crops, like nopales, squash, figs. Similarly, Stein said farmers in Zavala and surrounding counties are exploring crops that do well in heat, like sesame, and varieties of sorghum that require less water.Nopales grown at the Food Bank Farm in Mission San Juan on Wednesday morning.The rise of heat also makes it challenging to work past noon most days. “Even if you wanted to farm until 3 or 4 p.m., you really can’t because it’s so dangerous,” he said.
“At least in my lifetime, that’s how it’s been,” he said. “We’ve been on a drought cycle, but eventually we’ll come out of it.”
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