Farmers in crisis as worsening conditions threaten their livelihood: 'It comes at a cost'

Pecan farmers in El Paso, Texas, face increasing challenges as drought and rising temperatures reduce available water and put stress on pecan trees that threaten farms.

What's happening?

El Paso Matters reported that rising temperatures and increased drought are harming farmers' pecan trees. The drought shrinks the Rio Grande's supply of water for irrigation, which means that farmers have to rely on groundwater for their crops.

But groundwater isn't always reliable. El Paso's groundwater tends to be salty, which can stress out pecan trees alongside the heat.

Texas usually follows behind New Mexico and Georgia in terms of pecan production. If drought doesn't go away and temperatures keep rising, Texan farmers' profits, livelihoods, and produce are all at risk.

Why are these environmental events important?

Drought and rising temperatures prevent pecan trees from growing as they usually do. 

"Chronic water shortages can weaken trees, making them more susceptible to pests and diseases, and may also impact future yields," said Kimberly Cervantes, an extension horticulture specialist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, to El Paso Matters.

Isaiah Ulmer, a farmer near the New Mexico-Texas border, told EPM that the Rio Grande provides more nutrients than groundwater. When the Rio Grande's water dries up, pecan crops may be affected.

Meanwhile, the environmental challenges build on other challenges, including rising farm-related costs, such as labor and fertilizer, according to the news report.

If the challenges continue, farmers could lose a key source of income. Texas could lose a crop that's native to more than half of its counties, per the Texas Department of Agriculture. 

Pecans are crucial to maintaining Texas's biodiversity. And farmers are on the frontlines to protect them.

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How are pecan farmers adapting?

Some farmers are changing up their farms' aesthetics to stretch out the water supply.

"I'm no longer going out there between every irrigation thinking … 'I've got to make it look like a golf course,'" Shannon Ivey, a fourth-generation pecan farmer, said to EPM. 

"I love the golf course look," he continued. "But it comes at a cost. Every time you put an employee out there on a tractor, you've got wear and tear on the tractor, depreciation, fuel costs, labor costs, maintenance cost, right?"

By rewilding their farms, in a sense, pecan farmers are working with nature to create thriving crops. Embracing plants that cover the ground can also keep farms cooler in the face of rising temperatures.

Texas Real Food reported that farmers are looking into new methods of irrigation, like drip irrigation. That, combined with strategies like growing more heat-resistant pecans, can keep farmers in business for years to come.

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