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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Nina Lakhani with photographs by Verónica G Cárdenas in the Rio Grande Valley

‘Unpredictability is our biggest problem’: Texas farmers experiment with ancient farming styles

man in a field showing a plant
Reese Teplicek shows the cover crop cowpea that he is using as he grows grain sorghum in La Joya, Texas. Photograph: Verónica G Cárdenas/The Guardian

In one of the toughest growing regions in the US, commercial farmers like Frank Machac are experimenting with a style of ancient agriculture more known for soil health than profit.

They are perhaps unlikely budding agroecologists. “My number one concern is yield, I’m not worrying about climate change,” said Machac, 60, a ruddy-faced straight talker with 30 years’ farming experience in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV).

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