Bastrop County ranchers are balancing rising production costs with customers’ budgets as beef prices climb nationwide.

The why: Ongoing drought has contributed to smaller herds, while screwworm-related limits on Mexican cattle imports have further tightened supplies. Meanwhile, strong demand for beef is expected to keep prices elevated through 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The challenges: Yissell Torres, who co-owns Bastrop ranch La Tierra Fina, said the market has been a “double-edged sword,” noting the rising costs of production can outweigh the higher value of the cows.

The response: She and other local producers are responding to the pressures by changing how beef gets from the ranch to the freezer.

A data center in Hutto, additions to the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Bastrop are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Skybox Hutto 4 ($550 million): This project involves site improvements and construction of a new core and shell building with a future use as a data center.

2. Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter addition ($14 million): New additions are coming to the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, including first-floor kennels and second-floor office space.

3. Menchaca Apartments ($13 million): This project involves the construction of a clubhouse for apartments in Austin.

4. Dick's Sporting Goods ($11 million): A 55,000-square-foot store is coming to Bastrop.

5. Gringo's Tex-Mex ($5 million): The Tex-Mex franchise is coming to Kyle.

The average annual insurance premium for a Texas homeowner rose 79% in six years, from less than $2,000 in 2020 to more than $3,500 this year, Texas Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford told state lawmakers Oct. 5.

The overview: The rise in home insurance costs has been caused by severe weather, high inflationary costs impacting home repairs and "the concentration of risk" in the insurance market, Crawford said.

Experts said hardening homes against severe weather could help reduce expensive losses from disasters, resulting in lower insurance premiums.

Zooming in: Proponents of home-hardening incentives have pointed to their success in other Gulf Coast states, such as Alabama. Texas consumer advocacy groups and the insurance industry backed proposals to create a similar grant program last year, according to previous Community Impact reporting, but those measures did not pass.

Quote of note: "Resilience helps homeowners long before it shows up in an insurance bill because a stronger home holds up better when the storm comes," said Chelsea Stallings, a regional vice president for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.