Country Lifestyles
When lavender came to Texas- Lavender Ridge Farms gives new life to a family legacy
By contributing writer Martin Aldridge
When Jerry Ware and his sister Jane decided to open a new type of business just east of Gainesville, they turned to a piece of property that had been in the family for over 150 years.
During that time the land had seen many uses. In the 1920s and 30s it had been a melon and strawberry farm, run by their great-grandfather, but oil was discovered shortly after so the family took the money and moved to Fort Worth.
But the land was still theirs. As the oil petered out the family leased it for cattle grazing, and that’s how things stood until Ware decided to make a major career change.
After getting a degree in horticulture and landscape design from Tarleton State, Ware worked for a number of years as a private horticulturalist for a wealthy family, taking care of gardens at homes in such upscale places as Martha’s Vineyard, Palm Springs, Vail, and the Bahamas. But the job became more “all the time” than full-time and kept him constantly on the move, and he’d always dreamed of opening a business of his own.
Luckily his sister was at a similar place in her life.
“We both loved coming up here when we were kids,” he said, even though “there was nothing but barbed wire and cows.”
After talking it over, he and Jane decided to focus on lavender; which begs the question: why lavender? To read more pick up the September 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
By: Martha Crump
Most cattle producers can tell you quite a lot about balancing cattle diets for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals based on the specific needs for their herd and type of operation.
A key factor, and one that is often overlooked, is that how your animals perform is also directly affected by their water intake.
Now many of you may already be thinking “well of course water is necessary, anybody knows that!”
In many years, as September marches into October, we are beginning to experience some return of rainfall. But as many of us know, that is not always the case. Often we are still experiencing hot and dry weather, and water supplies are dwindling.
When we find ourselves experiencing those types of fall conditions, it is critical to not only understand the daily water requirements for cattle, but also the impact that the quality of water can have on herd health and development.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Annette Bridges
A friend and I were recently talking about our husbands. She made a comment that I felt also perfectly described me and my hubby.
“He slows me and I hurry him. I’m sure that is why we do well together,” she said.
“Precisely!” I thought. Why?
Because when two different worlds collide, it can be magical.
No matter what those two different worlds are- a man and a woman with very different personalities, beliefs, or backgrounds, two partners with contrasting passions, strengths, or talents, or when a country boy marries a city girl.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Watauga, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, is known for its rich history as a railroad stop, but over the course of the last year, one teen girl has put it on the map for agriculture as well. Emma Harvey has lived in Tarrant County her entire life. Despite being highly involved in her local 4-H chapter, she still felt there was more she could do. In the spring of 2023, she stepped up to the plate to take over the title of Tarrant County Teen Miss Agriculture USA.
“It all started when I put in an application for the teen title here in Tarrant County,” explained Harvey.
The Miss Agriculture USA program is a national non-profit, age-inclusive pageant program that offers both competition and non-competition titles to women dedicated to the promotion of agriculture.
Read more in the October issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available online and in print. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive NTFR in your inbox each week.
Photo by Hannah Claxton.
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