Panhandle Rain

September Newsletter

Rain

August has been a blessed month for us on the ranch. After many prayers, mainly from you, our loyal customers, and readers, we finally have seen rainfall. "Praise the Lord," Mary, aka mom, says. These rains mean so much for us ranchers. One, it will continue to make the grass grow. No grass, no cattle. The moisture will also benefit the hay and milo crops we planted earlier this year. Both of which will help cut down on the feed bill this winter. Personally, the change of scenery from brown to green makes me very excited. The beauty of this land when it comes alive is jaw-dropping.

I always have thought of Amarillo as being caught between two worlds. I almost think of the different planets in Star Wars. During the dry season, the landscape can look like Tatooine, the desert planet on which the hero Luke Skywalker grows up on. After a rain, the landscape is transformed more like Endor, the lush forest planet that hosts the epic conclusion of the original movies. During the dry season, the grass tends to be sorter, the dust blows, and everything has a brown hue. I see a lot of signs of an American desert; cacti, desert critters such as lizards and scorpions, and steep canyon walls. However, after rain, it changes all overnight. Green lush grass, low-lying lakes, and even ducks all start making an appearance.

During a heavy dry season, the cattle rely more on us to feed them and tend them. However, there still are redeeming qualities during these times. The Grass of the Texas Panhandle is incredibly nutritious and holds those values even through droughts. Even in a heavy drought, our grass is more beneficial to the cattle than pastures of wet states like Georgia.

Thanks to the Ogallala Aquifer and our friend, the windmill, water is easy to come by. The ranch has more than enough water tanks to keep our cattle happy. I highly recommend the May newsletter to learn more about our water situation and the windmill. Even with the brown, it is incredible how the ranch always bounces back.

Sometimes drought can become pretty bad here. Often our prayer request is for water, and even though we might be drought tolerant, that does not mean we don't need a drink. This August was one of those months where our prayers were answered, and it was all of God's timing this year.

 

At the very end of this June,the weather switched from a hot, dry, high-pressure system to a slow-moving low-pressure system.

The temperature dropped, and the rain fell. We're talking about seven inches of rain! This rain was enough to fill the low-lying basins on the grassland with water. These are called playa lakes and are a sign of an ending drought.

Sam saw the potential after this rain. The whole crew went to get the hay in the ground as soon as the mud had dried up. It wasn't 24 hours after we had the seed in the ground that the rains came again. Perfect timing! Similarly, about another week later, we saw a slow-moving weather system that soaked the land for two straight days. The hay now is coming in thick and lush. Our harvest looks promising for the hay and the milo crop we planted earlier this year (refer to our July newsletter).

My favorite part about the rain is the change in the landscape. As much as I like the feel of the American dessert, the transformation into the lush green landscape that Amarillo offers can be a sight for sore eyes. One day we're talking about Tatooine, and the next day Endor. Okay, the Star Wars analogy is about two steps too far, but the change is striking. From cactus to breathtaking wildflowers, turkey vultures to duck and strokes, brown to green, It is the change from the American Desert to the American Grasslands. I am simply blown away by the beauty every time it rains.

Tritails Update

August has also been a busy month for TriTails. If you haven’t been to our website in some time, you need to head over and check it out. We have a whole new slew of stock for you to choose from. You especially need to run over there if you want anything prime, as those cuts are selling like hotcakes and are limited in stock. 

The other thing to talk about with this restock is the packaging. We are now more consistent in using the same processing. That means we now have high-end packaging through and through. We did not have many problems before, but sometimes, there would be issues with lower-end cuts. Now, this new packaging is even more airtight and stronger. All this means our meat will store even better in your freezer and take more of a beating during shipping.

Things are also going very well on our wholesale side, but before I dig into that, I want to tell you some details:

1. Our retail and wholesale are two different entities with the same goal of providing high-quality American beef. On the wholesale side, there are more regulations.
2. Obviously, you must order cases of meat, not just a cut here or there.
3. You have to operate in specific areas to receive a shipment.

That being said, we are very excited about the wholesale. This new entity to Tritails is a considerable part of our phase two operation. We are growing with exceeding speed, and it has been a blessing. We will continue to keep you guys in the loop as things grow.

Prayer Requests

You can feel free to disregard this part of the newsletter, but we always need prayers. Please do not think we are asking you to only pray for us but rather just add these things to the things you already pray for. We really appreciate and believe in this.

• Praise for the rain we received!! Thankyou Lord!
• Praise for the great business we have been receiving!

Thank You so much, and don’t hesitate to let us know if we can pray for you.