Christopher Grotegut

Farmer

Tierra de Esperanza

Dr. Chris Grotegut is a veterinarian, farmer, and stockman raising organic crops and livestock in the Texas Panhandle. He is transitioning his family’s 11,000 acre farm, Tierra de Esperanza, toward more efficient uses of water, labor, and equipment by returning much of his cropland back to native grass pastures. He plants winter crops over dormant grasses in years with favorable moisture, minimizes irrigation, and takes measures to protect the playas which infiltrate water very slowly to refill the Ogallala Aquifer below. Aquifer decline is a serious threat to the viability of agriculture in the Texas Panhandle. In this talk, Chris shares lessons learned as he works to sustain his family, community, and land while replenishing the Ogallala Aquifer.