Texas Business Lawyer

Whenever people generally think of the dairy industry and dairy farms, they generally think of Wisconsin. In Texas, the thought is of East Texas with its copious amounts of rainfall and beautiful green grasses. Now, however, the dairy industry is moving west to the Texas Panhandle.

Since 2001, the number of cows in the Panhandle has grown from roughly 20,000 cows to 140,000 cows. Whereas the region used to produce 10% of the state’s milk, it is now producing 40%. In addition to the number of cows in the region, the new dairies have created new jobs for many small towns in the area. For every 100 cows that move to the area, that is 1 new job that is created.

The dairy farmers are moving from East Texas because of a lot of environmental concerns. In East Texas, the large amounts of rainfall washed manure into local streams and rivers which created a lot of concerns. In the Panhandle, it is much drier and there is a lot less rainfall so there is less run-off that leads to manure getting into the water supply.

In addition to the lack of water concerns, the farmers are happier because the cows are happier. The cows are happier because the region is not as hot nor as humid as Central Texas. The winters are generally comperable to Central Texas. All of this translates to more efficient milk production as the cows don’t have to work nearly as  hard at staying cool in the summer or warm in the winter.

Texas, with 660 dairies, is currently the 8th largest milk producer in the country. California remains at the top of the list but Texas is probably going to pass New Mexico in terms of production by the end of the year.

If you face potential problems with your business because of business issues, contact the Austin Business Lawyers at Slater & Kennon for an initial consultation.