Over my entire life of 40+ years we have experienced multiple drought years. My father and grandfather endured these regularly as well and I’m certain their fathers and grandfathers did as well. The drought year we experienced in 2021 and are currently enduring in early 2022 has been a real struggle. My grandfather and my parents (with the help of my uncle Tom Sinton) had the foresight to diversify a small portion of our ranch (less than 1% of the land) into winegrapes in 1972. This year marks the 50th anniversary of that decision; a decision that has helped our ranch persevere throughout even the toughest of dry years, like the past two years. CBS News ran a piece nationally highlighting the ranch and the plight of many ranchers who are struggling to make their way through these difficulties.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/cattle-ranchers-innovate-amid-historic-drought/