After 20 plus years it's no longer a drought it is the climate that has changed. You no longer lived in a prairie land you live in a desert.

That last clip was pretty sad. I don't think God's getting her out of this one.

“Climate change is a controversial topic” 2 seconds later “There’s definitely a change happening. To what degree. I don’t know.” You literally can’t make this up.

I'm tired of ranchers claiming to be amazing stewards of the land while washing topsoil away every year. I have personally had to pound fence posts in further year after year on the same pasture all while listening to the guy tell everyone how much he cares for his land.

It’s amazing to me how these farmers and cattle ranchers’ literal livelihood is being affected by extreme whether and drought and they still won’t acknowledge climate change

A drought is temporary, but climate change will be forever. We keep heading down this denier path and we'll lose everything from the houses and land we live on to the food and water we need to survive.

I love how when they're asked about climate change, they pivot and pretend to answer a different question that they want to be asked instead. xD

"He doesnt have a gun, or a lasso" Guys riding with a rope tied on his saddle...

"Is it possible that this hot climate is here to stay?" "Nope. Cause us farmers are close to god! We just gotta wait for the grass to come back." I hope that lady loses her farm. The level of ignorance to stare a problem in the face and say "nope, god is gonna do the work for me!" is astounding.

Imagine dying of cancer but claiming cancer doesn't exist and refusing treatment.

I wish people understood spiritual bypassing... "Whatever god wants we just got to get on through it." Umm, no. You can make changes, take action and listen to the science of what is happening to our climate and prepare for that!

Relying on "God" and "Pride"...will be the downfall for these Ranchers, if they cannot adapt, evolve, and reform itself for the next generation.

Texas and certain areas there are referring to has had limited water. The farmers waisted as much of the water as they could and now ranchers and dairies are contaminating the water that is left. Cattle ranchers need to move to where that land can handle the amount of cattle they currently have. All the wells tested by Texas tech found All the wells in Texas have been contaminated by the dairy and cattle industry. Who is going to clean that up???? Now they are crying about how they are running out of water????? They are the cause of the problem.

Vice should do a story about how once farmers and ranchers go out of business, their land is vulnerable to development (which disrupts biodiversity, wildlife passageways, soil health, and accelerates climate change). American Farmland Trust has lots of resources

Stop calling it drought. It isn’t drought. This is simply how things are today. The climate has changed. Same goes for California, where every weatherman has been saying drought for more than 20 years. 2 decades of drought isn’t drought. The climate changed, forever. Sunny Southern California used to be rainy for the entirety of Spring. It hasn’t been like that since the late 90s. I’m quite sure that Texas has changed just the same in their own way.

This is nothing new. I came from a long line of ranchers in Latin America in Brasil and Nicaragua which are the largest cattle producers in South and Central America we also use Brahman or other zebu breeds for their resistance to the heat and tropical pest. We’ve notice that the dry season hits harder and longer now so a lot of ppl have opted for silos and preserving food, same way ranchers in cold regions save food for winter we do the same but for summer and also storing water in retention ponds and planting large shade trees in pastures are some other things that have helped. Summers in some areas are so hard now that all the trees loose their leafs and the creeks and rivers that used to run year around don’t anymore.

The drought has been going on for a decade but what has save farmers up until recently was well water or ground water. But because of frackin that ground water is gone or not usable. So we did it to ourselves.

Miniature horses are going for ten dollars where I live and we don’t even live in a drought stricken area. And that’s ten dollars PER horse, not by the pound. Folks need to start planning for the twenty first century and stop living in the twentieth century.

Those ranchers don't care about us! all they care about is profit I am not worried about them! grow your own meat at home!

That older woman is a bit delusional in her perspective of changes that are happening

I respect how she has faith in God, but man, religious people are so easy to fool. They'll just say it's all God's plan and not complain.

If you want to be a science teacher, you have to believe in gravity. For these rancher, they probably voted in ppl who don’t give a dime with climate, so before they change their opinion, I share no empathy

So Grateful for your investigating reporting and I would love to contribute in some way ,

Drier, hotter climate - "That whole subject for a lot of people is controversial" ... what does that mean? It's happening, farmers need to adapt... so what's the controversy? Is it actually not happening? Brahman Cattle - I get that it's advantage if they can sweat more to cool themselves down in the day, but wouldn't they need to drink the water in the first place? Don't they actually have to drink more each week to be able to sweat more... but I guess it doesn't wok that way! 🤔

In Australia, it's the same people are like yeah whatever there's no global warming. While birds drop from the intense summer sun that burns you.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="398">6:38</a> I remember in college (2005) professors were pushing the switch to Brahmas to deal with this situation from happening.

That's what they voted for- now they gotta deal with it

Breaks my heart. I grew up in East Texas and have heard from friends how bad it's getting.

I grew up on a farm, and truly feel for these guys, but the fact is, beef is just not a sustainable source of protein. These cows survive on grass hay and a bit of grain now and then, but the issue is their calves in the giant corporate feedlots. Each lb of beef requires 10 lb of grain/supplement, and Brahman calves are no different. Consumers need to realize they are going to have to change if our planet is going to survive.

just eat simple indian meal like rice and dal with some okra fry...it is yummy....learn ....just save these satient being from suffering....wat a shame

I still don't understand why they haven't started building desalination plants in the coastal states. Sure water prices may double but at least we will have water.

If Brahman are too large of cattle for you zebu are a good substitute. They are a miniature version and one day we may see ourselves having to move towards smaller scale farming

Americans usually come through. But waiting for water to come back is not the long-term solution. They may have to find other sustainable ways to feed the growing population.

It's wild how god believers willingly accept all the bad things that they claim he is doing to them. It's not gods or devils, it's Nature.

For every tree that is cut down...for every square foot of asphalt put in, the less rain there is, so they can start by leaving the rain forest alone; by not building another strip mall; by not putting in another housing development or condos. As a young kid, I grew up in St Petersburg, Florida and it rained every afternoon like clockwork but now, it hardly rains much at all. Y'all blame the ranchers, but in fact, they have left all the trees on their land. It's those large concrete cities around those ranches that are effecting the rainfall...Stop the mass building...Stop cutting down the forests...Stop allowing millions upon millions of illegals into our country. We must look out for ourselves and our future generations or our country will become a desert wasteland with no water or food like so many other countries...

My cousins have had four years of draught. This is our second year. If y’all think meat is gonna be affordable next year or the next if things don’t magically get better next year😅😅😅.

This has Darwin written all over it.

We better sell all the water rights to nestle, they will manage the water for us

You talk to any old timer and there were times where it was worse than this. It’s bad, but it’ll rain some day. Always has

U like rib eyes, HB meat, or roasts ? We make the most from the land grasses to make sure cattle get fed well for optimal health purposes not to mention raising wheats and grain grasses for the flour, cereal, oatmeal, etc.

I don't feel sorry for anyone in this piece....

Huh, interesting how the states that for so long have denied these environmental conditions are now experiencing these droughts... I can only hope this opens their eyes and inspires change.

I live in Oklahoma and it's starting to feel like the Dust Bowl all over again.

I think almost all of us are hampered by tradition what we're used to whether it's the beef Rancher or the person watering their lawn or the person driving their gasoline vehicle or the person swimming in their personal private olympic size swimming pool. Tradition is resistant to change or even considering change. Blaming others and believing they're much more responsible for problem than we are is also a pretty human First Response. Corporations blame individual people and people blame government and few of us will make a heroic change to reduce our carbon footprint. A few of us have enough resources We Believe we will Outlast those beneath us. Not even the house of Windsor can survive if there's no other living people, plants or animals on earth familiar to us.

Everyone in the comments attacking the farmers and ranchers are the same people who whined when the shelves were empty during the pandemic because farmers and ranchers couldn't get their products to market. The shelves are about to be empty again for a very different reason, drought leads to famine. Everyone complaining needs to grow and eat only their own food for one year, then they have earned the right to complain about small agri. These same people who get a vente coffee that uses enough electricity to power a third world home and refuse to accept their part in the climate shift. The same people who drive plastic cars and own multiple devices with planet-raping trace-element batteries that plug into a powergrid run off fossil fuels, while wearing this season's poly-plastic blend clothing and living in plastic filled modern homes. If you can see or touch or are wearing 10 petroleum containing things, besides the device you are reading this comment on, then YOU are part of the problem. 85% of communities DO NOT have adequate, or affordable recycling programs. Many don't even offer recycling programs, so petroleum containing plastics are buried, burned, or dumped in the ocean. Their water management is even worse. People blame food producers for water shortages, but they won't stop watering their lawns and golf courses of invasive species grasses sprayed with pesticides, or filling their pools with chemically contaminated water that poisons birds and bees. Recycling, Adapting, and Living Circular is the only way we as a species will survive. Has the planet been hotter than it is now? Yes, it has during several epochs of the fossil record. Those that didn't adapt- died off.

We got a lot of rain all August in Texas

These doom and gloom pieces are lame. They need clicks I get it. Texas goes through droughts all the time..... Big Hint guys, ranchers will keep as many cows as they can feed so if its wet like it has been the last 7 years in texas and then you go into a typical drought, youre gonna have to sell off. It happens over and over again. Lake travis in Austin filled up in ONE NIGHT in 2015 from the rains. Its a drought, until it aint.

“He doesn’t have a gun or a lasso” over literally a shot of him with a lasso

V.E.G.A.N

I thought Brahmin only existed in some farms around Goodsprings, Primm, and South Vegas.

This story is now old texas got its rain, just a common 2 months no rain, happens about every 7 or 8 summers

Americans need to learn that you dont need to eat beef three times a day

It's amazing how only 5% of U.S. water is used for livestock. Whats even more amazing is mining is included with that percentage. Public supply is about 12% and the majority of that is coastal CITIES. A lot of rural people are also on well water and were raised to do little things like turn off the water when you brush your teeth and dont flush unless you poop. They dont have flowers from lowes in the front yard watering them every single day or thick Bermuda just to look at. People are so out of touch, honestly.

The Shepherdess has been talking about this for months now.

thanks

If so many "cheap" cattle are going to slaughter then prices should go down in the short term. Also, I wonder if that lady at the end of the video has considered the possibility that God just doesn't necessarily want it to rain in her part of Texas.

To all the commenters correcting him for calling it a Drought: He cannot call it "climate change" in front of ignorant hillbillies. They deny that, so ...he MUST call it a drought, or he won't get any interviews.

Some of the best News you can get

I didn't know there was more than two breeds of cattle! I thought it was just inedible and edible😂😂😂

To that lady at the end… I love God, and God would want us to care about climate control. Not just hope that everything is going to be okay. Of course God wants us to hope, but God would want us to make a change for good if we can do it and not just sit back on our butt. What she said is ignorance.

Go vegan! 🥗🧅🧄🫒🥕🌽🫑🌶🥒🥬🥦🥥🥬🍅🍆🥑🍍🥭🍑🍒🍈🍌🍉🍇🍓🫐🥜🫘🌰🍻

These god fearing so called Christians forget the karma they created for themselves, slaughtering mama & baby cows. I hope they all go out of business & then maybe they can reflect on the cruelty they spouse from KILLING sentient beings. I have to empathy or compassion for these animal murderers. Let the sobs go out of business. I won't lose any sleep over it. Every bite I did take on a steak or veal, reminded me as if I ate my own newborn baby. Thats why I will never do it again.

Amazing work

To the last lady, PLANT TREES, that's what God want us to do. All of Rancher's land has not enough trees. Trees attract Rain. Silvopasture is the way to go.

Okay but is it the rancher’s fault they need to make a living or is it our fault for eating meat products with EVERY meal…… hard to point fingers when we all partake in the destruction

Vice = GOAT

I wouldn't consider a ranch to be litter....the exact opposite.

Time to become vegan.

If there's one industry that absolutely needs to disappear, it's the cattle industry! The resources needed and environmental damages are too great to continue!

good reporting

oh we are in so much trouble.

I'm a rancher in an area that was under drought conditions,it literally changed over night with two days of rain, filled the stock ponds and grew new grass in a week and already started a new hay cut. It's never the end of the world as they claim only fools with not enough land and water that weren't being responsible anyway sold their heads for nothing.

The real victims are the animals here who were exploited all these years out of sheer habit by human beings. High time this cruel and unethical animal agriculture was stopped.

vice - thanks for covering this. moderate native texas democrat here.

Omg the cow at the beginning video was a bag of bones drought and food shortage

Just another reason why we need to move more towards a plant based diet and help give these businesses new ways to make money.

I don't think the average person understands how we need our farmers!

Just turn on the weather machine duh

The first cowboy definitely has a lasso on his horse, and I'm sure a gun nearby.

Plant base future! No more cows!

Vegan is ethical, healthy and sustainable.

The couple at the end of the video sound like a ad. I wonder who is sponsoring them?

some one says " knowledge without religion is lame, but religion without knowledge is blind"

Meanwhile, California is diverting millions of gallons of water away from ranchers & farmers straight into the ocean. To provide municipal water, California gets it from Arizona! Dry spells come and the reserves are insufficient. In all cases, including Texas, the price of water skyrockets. It all comes down to water management. It’s easy as pie to blame climate change, but everyone knows that climate changes! We should have been prepared for this, and it’s absolutely criminal that we are not. Other places are being flooded. We live on a watery planet. There’s no excuse for this. VICE should go down the rabbit hole and get to the bottom of this.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="402">6:42</a> Brahman cows... native to India!? Um... they'd be a lot safer if they were in India right now. You know where they're not safe? Texas.

just bought a steer at $3 lbs

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="24">0:24</a> He literally does have a lasso

Luckily there is an norwegian company developing a natural nano clay that will help with water problems, its called Desert Control

Aren’t these Brahman cows considered sacred? I’m a bit conflicted on that. Please correct me if I’m wrong folks.

I had a horse and cattle ranch in Montana. No matter where you live, or whether you grow crops or raise livestock, adequate water will always be a problem. Climate change you people talk about has been changing since the beginning of time. As long as we keep letting millions and millions of illegals into our country, the less water we will have. Think about how much water one family uses to drink, take showers, water their lawns and those aren't even the farmers and ranchers. If people aren't concerned about this problem, good luck when the day comes when you have no food because of lack of water due to a population explosion. Montana sells billions of gallons of water to California every day. We all need to stop and think about the future of our country. Climate change you talk about will continue as it has for hundreds of years because so far, no one has come up with a logical solution. Food and livestock need water as do trillions of people. And water is no more contaminated by cattle than it is by wildlife such as deer, elk, mountain lions, moose, coyotes, bears etc.

“Most straws sell for under $100” lmao

Grow nopales

Look into Holistic Management and Regenerative agriculture for anyone interested in Ranching in innovative ways thats in harmony with nature.

We are buying most of the food in the stores today that was grown last year......by next spring food prices are going to skyrocket ....do not doubt me on this...

Research this fact: Each pound of beef requires 1,847 gallons of water to produce. These walking methane factories are sucking up what water they don't have.

And we wonder why beef prices have gone up

My Crop duster grandpa tells me this joke at least once a month. A man in Louisiana is ordered over the radio to evacuate his house, there's flood coming. But he stays, telling his family, God will deliver! As the water reaches his porch, a cop drives by and asks to remove him, but he refuses. "God will deliver!". The water rises for four more hours, until its to his second floor window. A dingy from the red cross floats by, but he refuses "God will deliver!". As day turns into night, the water reaches his chimney, and he sits on his roof. A helicopter from the coast guard comes by, but he screams under the sound of the chopper "GOD WILL DELIVER". After he drowns, (he was a nice man) he walks up to the pearly gates and asks St. John "Why didn't God deliver?" I hope you get the metaphor.

This is sad.

Erratic weather will be the norm. Will it never rain ? No I would not say so, but it would never be on a time table that is conduicive for a business like cattle ranching. And the volume of rain and the intensity will chance.

I could not understand most of the people in this video