As he walked out the front door of his farmhouse, he met the crisp winter morning with an eagerness that comes with a new beginning. While this farm was familiar ground to 21-year-old Layton Schur, this day was the start of something new. He may have grown up on this farm, but now he was a real farmer.

In 1971, the American Economic Association started a committee dedicated to tracking the number of women in the economics profession. Despite the committee’s hope of seeing the relatively low representation of women in economics increase over the years, a 2016 report from AEA suggested little progress had been made. However, the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Texas Tech is changing that stat.

The West Texas landscape holds a plethora of natural beauty that is often overlooked in landscape design. Utilizing native plants in landscaping architecture is a major factor in the care of the landscape. The West Texas Garden project is a collaborative effort aimed at creating a new standard of sustainable landscaping in West Texas.

Ten years ago, sorghum, an ancient gluten-free grain, rich in health benefits, was nearly non-existent on grocery store shelves. Now, sorghum is one of the top food trends of 2017. How did this grain known more for its use as a livestock feed, come roaring into the food spotlight?

Returning to the farm meant living out a life-long dream for Jeremy Brown. Yet, it was risky. He had a dependable desk job, but that wasn’t the life he wanted. Brown not only continued on the legacy of being a fourth generation farmer; he also attended college at Texas Tech University.

The hot and dry growing conditions that often accompany the growing season in Hale County, Texas, can really put farmers in a pickle. However, some farmers in West Texas say the tough growing conditions are no big “dill.” When driving through Hale County, one can expect to see cotton or wheat in the fields, but many would be surprised to see cucumbers growing.

When Lindsay Hamer started her communications internship at the Texas Peanut Producers Board, she thought she had a good understanding of what her day-to-day responsibilities would be: writing press releases, making social media posts, and answering phones. But as she climbed into the 8-foot tall Tex P. Nut mascot uniform, she started to wonder what she had gotten herself into.