Tecolote Farm joins forces with local farms and food businesses to host a meet and greet with Travis County Judge potential Andy Brown this Saturday, February 22, from 11:30 am -1 pm at Barr Mansion. Green Gate Farm, Edible Austin, Springdale Farm, Hausbar Farm, Barr Mansion, and so many other local sustainable and food businesses are supporting Andy Brown. Local, small plates will be served, and all are welcome. Please rsvp to jordan@voteandy.com, or on the Facebook event page: Let’s Talk Food with Andy Brown!
We as farmers prefer to stay out of the political limelight, but sometimes it’s important to share what you know. In case you don’t remember Tecolote Farm’s battle over our groundwater loss from 2008-2010 with Travis County, read here. The Travis County Commissioners Court was generally friendly and open to finding a solution at the time, save for one Commissioner: Sarah Eckhardt. She is running for Travis County Judge now, and our experience with her character is such that we are strongly endorsing Andy Brown. In addition to the vindictive tone and lack of support or openness she demonstrated, there were issues with her policy, especially considering that she was viewed as THE sustainable/green commissioner. Read on to see what water lawyer Drew Miller, who represented us pro bono in the battle, summarizes about her unfriendly positions toward this local, , sustainable farm:
“Sarah Eckhardt was steadfast and uncompromising in seeing to it the County was able to, with impunity, pump a neighboring farm’s long-producing well dry by locating the County’s new wells nearby and pumping the heck out of those wells – including by wasting that groundwater. She was steadfast and uncompromising in making sure that the County would hide behind the antiquated rule of capture, while hypocritically assailing that legal doctrine as bad policy. She was consistent in her opposition to any and every plan advanced by our current county judge to even modestly help out the farmers who were victims of the county’s overuse of the resource. She was a leader in obstructing any efforts at fairness. I witnessed her actions and attitude in this matter firsthand. Not the kind of leadership that Travis County wants or deserves. For these and other reasons, I support Andy Brown‘s candidacy for Travis County Judge.” – Drew Miller, Water Lawyer, Kemp Smith, Austin, TX