Keystone Species Support Great Plains Ecosystems

By Emma Montgomery The Llano Estacado, meaning the “Staked Plains,” is one of the largest plateaus on the North American continent, according to the Texas State Historical Association. This grand landscape covering the panhandle of Texas houses the southernmost tip of High Plains of North America. Here, a short-grass prairie with plentiful flat miles boasts […]

West Texas Wine Making Ferments Pride

By Victoria Holloway When Cliff Babbitt retired from the Texas Department of Public Safety in 2006, he decided to start another full-time job: growing wine grapes. His choice is not surprising: The West Texas weather is good for growing quality grapes. Dry heat concentrates the sugars, which makes wine sweeter. A good grape harvest will net […]

Festival Brings Awareness to West Texas Wine Production

Texas is the seventh largest wine grape producer in the country, and the South Plains is home to more than 80 percent of those grapes. “It is a good place to grow grapes,” said Jason Centanni, Llano Estacado Winery’s winemaker. “We have minimal instances of rot or mildew, we also have low pests. The dryness keeps away […]