Texas Rancher Garners Support and Feeds Over 100,000 Displaced Residents from Harvey

Published on Mon, 09/11/2017 - 10:29am

Texas Rancher Garners Support and Feeds Over 100,000 Displaced Residents from Harvey

Article provided by Aimee Murry

Mike Arnold, owner of Arnold Land and Cattle, has garnered support from industry leaders to help assist the 20,000 plus displaced rural residents and ranchers in Texas following Hurricane Harvey. Arnold is president of Agrigain, an agribusiness representing SumaGrow biologicals, and understands the needs of the cattle community he has been a member of his entire life. Arnold also serves as a livestock representative for Superior Livestock Auction.
As of last Saturday, Arnold and his fellow volunteers fired up their donated and personal grills, feeding over 100,000 people from Rockport to Sulphur, Louisiana. Volunteers continue to cook and deliver hamburgers for evacuation centers, first responders, and rely on runners that transport food and essential items into the rural communities.
When asked how long the efforts would continue, Mike replied, “We will be here until the needs have been met.”

Agrigain, National Beef Packing, Cargill Protein, Superior Livestock Auction, Steaksfortroops.com, and Mid South Baking Company, are just a few of the companies concentrating much of their products, resources, and time to support rural and agrarian communities.
Although there are no firm estimates on the number of cattle lost among the 1.2 million farmed in the 58 affected counties, estimates suggest that crop loss top $200 million. Arnold was in the final harvest of a rice trial in Winnie, TX using his SumaGrow products when the hurricane made landfall. Preliminary results showed that an additional 5-7 barrels were being realized with a reduction of fertilizers of up to 25 percent.
“We were expecting similar positive results as the preliminary data demonstrated an increased yield to the tune of around 15 percent despite the challenging year producers have been having with the weather," said Arnold, “ We will continue our trials in 2018. I expect the results will show the same trends of yield increases and reduced inputs.”

As the fields dry out, farmers and ranchers return to face a different type of trial. From unusable grazing fields to farmland left with saline soaked soil, these challenges will require patience-testing time, a variety of resources, and creative solutions to overcome.

“Right now, our producers just need our support….and they have it,” said Arnold.
For more information on donating or volunteering with this effort please visit www.steaksfortroops.com.

Check out this video from All American Beef Battalion on the efforts for Hurricane Harvey Relief

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNyUsRyYsg8&feature=share

Photos courtesy of Steaks for Troops

http://www.steaksfortroops.com/