By Hattie Robb To broaden the Llano Estacado’s food shed and lessen the environmental impact of traditional farming, Slaton native, Cory Roof plans to establish Ogallala Greens as a hydroponic vegetable farm in West Texas. Over the past five years, Roof has helped construct and operate some of the most advanced greenhouses in the world. … Continued

By Hattie Robb With its freezing winters and dusty springs, one can easily assume the Llano Estacado region is only suitable for growing cotton and raising cattle. However, a young couple disproves that theory with their first-generation strawberry farm in Lubbock, Texas. I met with Dakota Keyser, the founder of Caprock Berry Farms, to discuss … Continued

By Hattie Robb With Easter season upon us, you might want to reconsider your annual visit from the Easter bunny and instead, grab some all-natural eggs from Alcove Farms. Not only is this operation a beacon of great stewardship but it is also a wonderful source for fresh and healthy poultry products. When Ron and … Continued

By Hattie Robb, Local Llano Intern (Nazareth, TX) Juicy Lucy’s mobile produce truck gives locally grown food a whole new meaning with its portable farmers market that offers fresh produce year-round. I had the chance to meet with the owner and founder of Juicy Lucy, Lucinda Mann, to discuss how she turned her small garden … Continued

By: Janie Ray Prichard   I used to spend most every summer in late July or early August, harvesting the cabbage from my Channing, TX garden and making sauerkraut in my beautiful 5-gallon crock from Marshall Pottery, and my father-in-law, Rondy Ray, a long-time ranch manager and cowman, was often my sous chef, pounding the … Continued

By Justin Trammell (Canyon, TX)   African, American Buff and Toulouse Geese at Tir Bluen Farm   Over the past 6 years, I have kept just about every domestic poultry you can think of including: chickens (both production and heritage breeds), ducks, turkey, geese, and even guinea fowl. My methods of raising them have changed … Continued

By Sydney Keim, Local Llano Intern (Lubbock, TX) You might have seen Gloryland Organic Bakery pop up recently at the Wolfforth Farmers Market (which takes place every Saturday from 10-2), but you might not know exactly why. Gloryland started baking bread out of their home to feed those they saw in need of help when … Continued

The process of canning has been around for centuries and is still widely used today. Canning is a method of preserving food that allows you to store food contents for long periods – even several years. Canning methods used today – i.e., the use of a two-part canning lid – dates to the early 20th … Continued

By Mahriah Dickson (Wolfforth, Texas) Grandma Nettie’s Pickles is a family owned and operated small business, based out of Wolfforth, TX, and was started by Jeff and Mahriah Dickson in the summer of 2017. Jeff and Mahriah were raising 15 children, supporting their large family by selling fresh eggs, dairy calves, operating a small construction … Continued

By Susie Wiebe (Seminole, TX) In 2013, we began our 20’x40’ greenhouse/ garden center with an emphasis on bedding plants. Many of the flowers and all vegetables we seed ourselves. Bedding plants that we aren’t able to seed, come in from reputable suppliers where we then transplant with much hands-on experience. Early on, we noticed … Continued

Meet the Millers If you have ever driven from Lubbock to Brownfield, TX, you have probably noticed the impressive pecan orchard owned and managed by Dustin and Jessica Miller. The 360 total acres of pecan trees consists of approximately 240 acres of mature trees and 120 acres of young trees. Varieties of pecans found throughout … Continued

By Janie Prichard Gluten intolerance has become very prevalent through consumption of “our daily bread,” primarily due to inferior methods of bread making which include using bakers yeast to speed up the process of creating leaven as well as using modern grains that lack the nutrients of the more ancient varieties, some of which have … Continued