Desert Flower: to be resilient in times of hardship.

“It’s never been this dry in our area in my lifetime” shared Russell Boening. In Texas, Farmers underwent what some say is the worst drought since 2011. More than 70% of Texas experienced severe drought conditions in 2022. Grain sorghum, a drought resistant plant, grew half its size and Cotton yields were down by up to 50%. Some Ranchers culled their entire herd of cattle for the first time. With soaring inflation rates and little rain to grow hay, other ranchers have burned prickly pear to keep cows fed. Rancher Steve Bauer emphasized “Water is our livelyhood”.

About the project: This story was pitch and researched by my collegue Nataly Keomoungkhoun and I. The inspiration for the story came from what felt like a desert season in life. I loved working on an important environmental project around something so true to my roots, farming.