<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><item href="/newsroom/story/texas_farmers_study.html" dsn="news"><pubDate>05/07/2026</pubDate><title>Texas farmer’s story underscores findings of new study on aging and health in agriculture </title><summary>For many older farmers, a lifetime of working the land leaves enduring marks, not just on the soil, but on the mind and body. New research on aging in agriculture highlights the cumulative physical strain caused by years of exposure to extreme weather, repetitive labor and high-risk environments, often compounded by limited access to supportive health care. Texas leads the nation in farmland with more than 230,000 farms.</summary><author>Maya McMillian</author><image><img src="/newsroom/_binaries/Dr_Kai_Zhang_700x500.jpg" alt="placeholder"/></image><tags><tag>College of Public Health</tag></tags></item>