I’ve taken time to enjoy some of the farm life over the last few months, at least off and on. We take time to care for horses, our chickens, and a few other animals. In more rural Kansas, the horses are at a point where thanks to the heat and high humidity, they need aggressive water planning as well as more frequent “spray downs” because trees that would traditionally provide cover aren’t doing as well in the last year. This situation is being mirrored in all areas of animal management in Kansas, and over the last week, the devastating snap from winter to immediate high heat resulted in thousands of cattle deaths.
The top three beef-producing states in the country, Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas, may all be facing trouble, but the announcement by Kansas Department of Health and Environment comes as a blow to the industry and sends a worrying sign about what fate future weather will bring to livestock.
Campaign Action
The key issue here is not just the high heat—though as NBC reports, Kansas weather has reached up to 108 degrees, a temperature beyond what an Iowa State University study of 2010 contended was a livable condition for cattle, who are not well designed or bred to handle the heat in this way.
Over the years, breeding and cattle selection have led to cattle that struggle, and this weekend is projected to test the boundaries again as the Texas panhandle and areas of Kansas are expected to hit 110 degrees.
During the Trump administration hundreds of environmental protections were rolled back, and even as the Biden administration restored many protections, for years the damage was being done.
Now dealing with combinations of drought, high humidity, and record heat, the farming industry is trying to figure out what the future looks like.
This is the impact of doing the wrong thing for the environment: After decades of ignoring reality, at a certain point, everyone begins to pay the price.