Alva Review-Courier -

RAYWOOD, Texas (AP) — Ray Stoesser rumbled around his quiet green fields in a mud-caked SUV, noting the minute gradations of the land, which is subtly terraced to allow water to flow downhill, irrigating the fields in slow succession.

"We're going uphill, believe it or not," Stoesser said. After more than a half century of farming, he knows what each field needs and when, harvest after harvest. "Just like taking care of your backyard," he said.

The Houston Chronicle reports if Stoesser's land hasn't changed, the economic conditions have. Rice prices have declined for several years, averaging a...