Conservation Stories

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Josh Davis of JC Acre to talk about first-generation farming, pasture-raised chickens, local food, and the realities of building a regenerative farm in the Texas Panhandle. Josh shares how he and his wife began using family land near Canyon to raise laying hens, pigs, and eventually expand toward a more diverse, multi-species operation.

The conversation explores soil health, Dust Bowl history, regenerative agriculture, the challenges of making local food accessible, and the difference between global food production and local food systems. It’s an honest and thoughtful look at what it means to farm with intention, care for the land, and build something meaningful for the next generation.

More about our guest:

Joshua Davis, Owner and Farmer at JC Acre

Email: aamincpresident@gmail.com

Instagram: @jc_acre

Website: jcacre.co

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates • Instagram • Facebook • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website.

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news.

This episode of Dry Side Dispatch is a wide-ranging conversation about how West Texas agriculture is adapting to limited water, higher input costs, and changing production practices. The group discusses cover crops and crop insurance, compares groundwater management in Texas and Kansas, and considers how dwindling Ogallala supplies are reshaping decisions about irrigation and land use.

A major focus is cotton production, including research into later planting dates, NASA-assisted analysis of weather and freeze risk, lower-cost seed options, drought-adapted varieties, and precision technologies such as targeted spraying. The broader theme is finding production systems that remain economically viable with less water—potentially combining limited irrigation, dryland cotton, grass, and livestock rather than relying on traditional high-input farming models.

Dusty Timmons visits with Matt Rice of American Rivers to talk about river conservation, water policy, and the growing need to protect freshwater systems across the Southwest and Texas. Matt shares how American Rivers works with agriculture, cities, conservationists, and local communities to find practical solutions that support healthy rivers, clean water, recreation, wildlife, and rural economies.

The conversation explores the complexity of water challenges, from invasive species and aging dams to irrigation, floodplains, river restoration, and the importance of local watershed groups. It’s a thoughtful look at how rivers connect people across political, geographic, and economic lines — and why protecting them requires collaboration, incentives, and a long-term commitment to future generations.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website.

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news.

This episode of Dry Side Dispatch features Robert Crain of Texas Pacific Water discussing the growing challenge—and potential opportunity—of produced water from oil and gas operations in the Permian Basin. Crain explains how his team developed a freeze-distillation process to remove salts from extremely saline produced water, followed by reverse osmosis and other treatment steps to create water clean enough for beneficial reuse.

The conversation explores how treated produced water could reduce underground disposal, help restore flows in the Pecos River, support agriculture, and potentially recharge depleted aquifers such as the Ogallala. Crain also discusses regulatory hurdles, aging “zombie” wells, the economics of water treatment, and the need to pair new water supplies with more efficient irrigation and long-term conservation practices.

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with David Senter of the American Agriculture Movement to talk about the history of farmer-led advocacy, the rise of AAM in the late 1970s, and the grassroots efforts that brought thousands of farmers to Washington, D.C. David shares the story of the Tractorcade, the fight for fair prices, and the policies farmers pushed for to protect family agriculture.

The conversation also explores the farm crisis of the 1980s, the founding of Farm Aid, the Farm and Ranch Congress, and the ongoing challenges family farmers face today, from low commodity prices and high input costs to land loss, data centers, and corporate consolidation. It’s a powerful reminder that the fight for family farmers is not just history — it is still happening.

More about our guest:

David Senter President of the American Agriculture Movement

Email: aamincpresident@gmail.com

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates • Instagram • Facebook • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website.

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news

This episode of Dry Side Dispatch features U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Duane Lucia discussing wildfire response, prescribed fire, and land restoration across Texas and the Great Plains. The conversation covers current funding for fuel reduction, invasive-species removal, and post-fire recovery, along with Lucia’s work restoring areas affected by major fires such as Smokehouse Creek.

A major theme is the ecological value of fire when it is used strategically. Lucia explains how prescribed burns can reduce dangerous woody fuel, control juniper encroachment, improve grassland and wildlife habitat, and help prevent more destructive fires later. The episode also explores cottonwood restoration, salt cedar control, satellite and remote-sensing technology, and the need for better public understanding of fire as both a management tool and a natural part of healthy grassland ecosystems.

Dusty Timmons visits with Camille Null, director of volunteer programs for Heroes on the Water, to talk about how kayak fishing became a powerful therapeutic outlet for veterans, first responders, and their families. Camille shares the story of how the organization began in 2007 after founder Jim Dolan saw the way time on the water helped injured service members reconnect, relax, and rebuild a sense of community.

The conversation explores the calming effect of being outdoors, the importance of finding support after service or trauma, and how Heroes on the Water’s volunteer-led chapters create safe, welcoming spaces across the country. It’s a moving reminder that healing does not always happen in a clinic — sometimes it starts with a kayak, a fishing rod, and someone willing to make the call.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website.

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news

This episode of Dry Side Dispatch features Lauren Garduno of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance discussing the history, purpose, and future of the Ports-to-Plains corridor. The conversation traces how the project grew out of West Texas transportation needs and NAFTA-era trade, and how the Texas and New Mexico portions were eventually designated as future I-27.

Garduno also looks ahead at what a modern I-27 could become, including smart-highway technology, autonomous vehicle lanes, fiber infrastructure, drone and air-taxi connections, and new freight and energy systems. The episode emphasizes the corridor’s potential to improve trade with Mexico and Canada, strengthen rural economies, relieve traffic on other interstate routes, and create a major north-south transportation link through the Great Plains.

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Joe Richards of Playa Lakes Joint Venture and Tomorrow’s Water to talk about the vital role playas play in groundwater recharge across the High Plains. Joe explains how these temporary wetlands function, why they matter for the Ogallala Aquifer, and how restored playas can support water quality, wildlife habitat, community water planning, and long-term agricultural resilience.

The conversation covers playa restoration, conservation programs, landowner incentives, municipal water needs, and the importance of including playas in broader water strategies. It’s a practical and hopeful look at how restoring these often-overlooked wetlands can help protect tomorrow’s water for farms, communities, and future generations.

More about our guest:

Joe Richards, playa & water conservation outreach specialist, Playa Lakes Joint Venture

Instagram: @Richardsoutdoorphoto

Facebook @Richardsoutdoorphotography

Website Resources:

https://richardsoutdoorphotography.com/

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates • Instagram • Facebook • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website.

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news

This episode of Dry Side Dispatch features longtime Tahoka attorney, farmer, and rancher Calloway “Cal” Huffaker discussing the changing realities of rural West Texas. The conversation covers Tahoka’s history and growth, the importance of small-town schools and civic involvement, and programs that have helped shape rural communities and agriculture across the region.

The discussion then turns to how agriculture and land use are evolving, particularly through solar and wind development, increasingly complex landowner contracts, wildlife and conservation concerns, and the need to plan for cleanup and long-term impacts. Huffaker also reflects on rising farm costs and the growing shift toward diversified income—such as livestock, hunting, renewable energy, and other land uses—as producers adapt to a changing agricultural economy.

Dusty Timmons visits with Renee Thornton, founder and chair of the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Women Hunt program, to talk about helping more women find a pathway into hunting, conservation, and the outdoor community. Renee shares her own story as a solo adult-onset hunter and explains how that journey grew into a program designed to train, equip, mentor, and support women as they build confidence in the field.

The conversation explores Women Hunt’s Field to Fork program, the importance of firearms education and ethical hunting, the role of women in conservation advocacy, and the ripple effect that happens when women bring their families and communities into the outdoors. Renee also shares about new Women Hunt initiatives, including Mama Bear Field Camp, the Ruby Mayflower Blake Legacy Fund, and the Ignite podcast.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website.

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news

This episode of Dry Side Dispatch features Texas Tech associate professor Nathan Hall discussing the science behind dogs’ sense of smell and the work of the K9 Olfaction Research and Education Lab. Hall explains how researchers study and train detection dogs for jobs ranging from explosives and narcotics detection to wildlife work and identifying agricultural problems such as plant diseases.

The conversation also explores how breed, genetics, training, weather, wind, humidity, and learned associations affect scent detection, while challenging common assumptions about which breeds have the “best” noses. The episode closes with Hall discussing current research, the lab’s student training and animal-behavior programs, and its work rehabilitating and training shelter or working-program dogs before placing them in adoptive or working homes.

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Evart Outlaw of American Farmland Trust to talk about protecting working lands, supporting farmers and ranchers, and helping producers adapt in a changing agricultural landscape. Everett shares the mission behind American Farmland Trust, including farmland protection, conservation easements, sound farming and ranching practices, and the importance of keeping producers on the land.

The conversation also highlights the Texas Grazing Network, a peer-to-peer mentorship program that connects ranchers with experienced producers who can help them improve land stewardship, soil health, forage production, profitability, and long-term resilience. It’s a practical and hopeful look at how guidance, community, and new perspectives can help farmers and ranchers face difficult transitions and find sustainable paths forward.

More about our guest:

Evart Outlaw, Texas Grazing Network Manager for American Farmland Trust

Website Resources:

https://farmland.org/texas-grazing-mentors-network/

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates • Instagram • Facebook • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website.

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news

This episode of Dry Side Dispatch features Texas Tech PhD student Katherine Coyle discussing her research into whether treated “produced water” from oil and gas operations could eventually become a useful new water source for agriculture, rangeland restoration, or playa systems—not for human consumption. She explains how produced water is desalinated and polished, why disposal through underground injection has created concerns such as seismic activity and well blowouts, and how her research tests different treatment levels against West Texas soils.

Her laboratory work found that different treatment methods can significantly alter soil pH, nutrient availability, microbial activity, and the movement or accumulation of elements such as phosphorus and boron. The conversation emphasizes that highly treated water is not automatically harmless simply because it is “clean”; it may need to be remineralized or otherwise adjusted before agricultural use. The broader takeaway is that produced water shows promise, but more field trials and continued research are needed before it can be safely and reliably deployed at scale.

Dusty Timmons visits with award-winning wildlife journalist Chester Moore of the Gulf Great White Shark Society to talk about the surprising return of great white sharks to the Gulf of Mexico. Chester shares how years of sightings, research, satellite tagging, and one remarkable shark named LeeBeth helped confirm what many once doubted: great whites are not only present in the Gulf, they are part of its story.

The conversation explores shark conservation, public misconceptions, illegal harvest, the importance of large predators in marine ecosystems, and the role of storytelling in inspiring curiosity and care for wildlife. It’s a fascinating look at one of the ocean’s most iconic animals and what its presence means for the Gulf Coast.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website.

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news

This episode of Dryside Dispatch features Tillery Sims recapping the recent Space4Ag/NASA Acres tour and exploring how NASA’s satellite technology could support agriculture on the High Plains. The discussion focuses on using remote sensing for soil moisture, crop conditions, weather forecasting, planting-date decisions, and more accurate agricultural data, while emphasizing the need for farmers to collaborate with researchers to “ground truth” what satellites are seeing.

The group also discusses potential local projects, including adjusting planting dates around heat and freeze risk, monitoring invasive brush and wildfire conditions, and using NASA data to help verify groundwater savings in programs that transition some row-crop acreage to grazing or dryland use. Overall, the episode highlights the growing potential for space-based technology to help West Texas producers make better decisions around water, weather, and long-term agricultural sustainability.

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Brian McMath, executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board, for a helpful look at how Texas plans, studies, and funds water solutions across the state. Brian explains the agency’s three major roles — science, planning, and financing — and how those efforts support communities working on water supply, wastewater, flood mitigation, infrastructure, and long-term resilience.

The conversation explores regional water planning, the importance of local input, aging infrastructure, water loss, innovative solutions like desalination and produced water, and the financial tools available to help communities prepare for the future. It’s a clear and practical introduction to the people and systems working behind the scenes to protect Texas water.

More about our guest:

Bryan McMath - Executive Administrator, Texas Water Development Board

Website Resources:

https://www.twdb.texas.gov http://www.facebook.com/twdboard https://www.linkedin.com/company/texas-water-development-board https://www.instagram.com/waterfortexas

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

Support the Conservation Stories Podcast

Follow SARA for more updates • Instagram • Facebook • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website.

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news

This episode of The Dry Side Dispatch features Rhett Overman of Final Descent Guide Service, who shares how his background in agriculture and relationships with West Texas growers helped turn a passion for hunting into a successful guiding business. The conversation explores dove, geese, sandhill crane, and quail hunting, along with the importance of maintaining strong relationships with landowners and adapting to constantly changing weather and bird migration patterns.

The group also discusses how farming practices, water availability, crop choices, and habitat improvements can benefit wildlife while creating supplemental income for landowners through hunting and outdoor tourism. Conservation efforts, changing bird populations, and the role of organizations and landowners in improving habitat are recurring themes throughout the show.

Dusty Timmons visits with Gray Thornton, president and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation, for a wide-ranging conversation about the history, challenges, and future of wild sheep conservation. Gray explains how bighorn sheep populations declined from historic highs to near extirpation, and how hunters, agencies, landowners, and conservation groups have helped rebuild herds across North America.

The episode digs into desert bighorn restoration in Texas, the growing challenge of free-ranging aoudad, disease issues like mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, sheep translocations, predator and habitat pressures, and international conservation work with species like argali and ibex. It’s a fascinating look at what it takes to put and keep wild sheep on the mountain.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website.

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news

This episode of The Dry Side Dispatch features a wide-ranging conversation with Texas AgriLife Extension’s Todd Baumann about the realities facing West Texas agriculture. The group discusses extreme differences in rainfall and drought conditions, the limitations of long-range weather forecasting, and the increasingly difficult economics of producing cotton as input costs rise and commodity prices fluctuate. They also spend time on the mental and emotional strain of farming, highlighting AgriLife’s Farm Hope program and the importance of resources that understand the unique pressures agricultural families face.

From there, the conversation expands into local food production, misconceptions surrounding “corporate farming,” ethanol and agricultural subsidies, changing farm infrastructure, and the challenges of diversifying crops and markets. The episode closes on a more forward-looking note, discussing agricultural research, new cotton varieties, rapidly advancing technology, and an upcoming event involving NASA technology and opportunities for collaboration in agriculture.