Latest local news, weather, high school sports in the Rio Grande Valley

A steady stream of water flows through Vern Vanderpool’s cotton farm.
           
It is the third time this year he has had to irrigate the land just to make sure he has a crop to sell when it comes time to harvest.
           
"Irrigation is very expensive--but if you're going to make a crop you gotta have it."
           
Thousands of dollars are literally pumped into one acre of land.

But this is not something new to Vern or other South Texas farmers….he said they are used to the dry conditions.
           
"We're trying to make the best of what mother nature provides..."
           
But mother nature does not always pull through---last year was particularly hard for Vern and his cotton crop.

"Last year we had no rain---we had almost nothing."       

While this year has been an improvement, Vern told Action 4 News that farming in South Texas is a gamble….."Cotton was in the upper 90's in February and now it's in the mid 60's...that's a 30 percent drop. It's a tough deal to have the price go done on you like that---but it might turn around and go right back up."