TAHOKA, TX. (KMID/KPEJ) – Meraki Meadows — a locally grown saffron farm in West Texas. The business is made up of two local families, working together to make magic happen in small bottles.
“We thought it was pretty crazy. We didn’t even know what saffron was, we had to go look it up,” said Andrea McDonald. “We are a family of two families of five, we are a family of 10. And there are six kids, five boys and one girl. And it takes all hands.”
Sisters Andrea McDonald and Lyneil Beck, their husbands, Karl Mcdonald and Andy Beck, and their children have been harvesting saffron since the pandemic began…. The spice is something that fits naturally in the West Texas environment.
“When I bought 20,000 bulbs and came home and told everyone that I bought 20,000 bulbs, they were all very curious as to what is my role going to be in this. and so this is all about the time COVID-19 happened so we were all locked inside. I don’t think there was much argument about us getting out and doing something. And so this gave us something to circulate and, really put all of our effort into,” said Karl McDonald.