Advancing Texas events continue to reach Texans statewide

Recent events in Corpus Christi, McAllen focused on land stewardship, health                                                                   

MCALLEN – The Texas A&M AgriLife Advancing Texas statewide roadshow promoting the vision of Texas A&M AgriLife recently held two events — one in Corpus Christi and one in McAllen.

The Advancing Texas initiative is led by Patrick Stover, Ph.D., vice chancellor and dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University and director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. The events are presented in collaboration with Texas Farm Credit. 

“Agriculture is and has always been the foundation of Texas A&M University, and these Advancing Texas events are a platform for us to hear from our stakeholders across the state,” Stover said. “They also give us the opportunity to showcase the advancements within the college and agencies and engage new supporters for Texas A&M AgriLife.”

An initial Advancing Texas event was presented this spring in Bryan, with additional events scheduled for this year and next. These events include a meet-and-greet mixer, panel discussion with question-and-answer period, and information booths touting Texas A&M AgriLife agencies and programs, such as Healthy South Texas , Dinner Tonight and Path to the Plate.

Private Land Stewardship

The first of the two most recent events, “The Rural Texas Landscape: Private Land Stewardship and the Role of Texas A&M AgriLife,” held Aug. 20 at the Omni Hotel in Corpus Christi, was attended by more than 100 area farmers, ranchers and other landowners.

The panel discussion for this event addressed topics of importance to landowners in the Coastal Bend area and throughout the state. Among the topics discussed were land fragmentation, wildlife conservation, eminent domain, border security, natural resources, oil and gas leases and land fragmentation.

Panelists included Stover; Neal Wilkins, president and CEO, East Foundation, San Antonio; Bob McCan, fifth-generation McFaddin Enterprises rancher and past president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; and T. Michael O’Connor, Victoria County sheriff. Also participating in the discussion were Roel Lopez, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, San Antonio, who served as moderator, and Susan Ballabina, Ph.D., deputy vice chancellor, Texas A&M AgriLife, College Station.

“Rural lands intertwine with Texas history, economy, environment and everyday life, but there are many challenges associated with land stewardship,” Stover said in his remarks. “The age of the average farmer or rancher, the ability to make an agricultural operation profitable, along with the fragmentation of working lands are all major challenges.”

Wilkins said, “Partnering with other organizations and agencies will be needed to help ensure farming and ranching families stay together and keep their lands intact.”

He also noted due to the variety of challenges agriculturists face, individuals who support agriculture now require a broader understanding of science, policy and land management.

McCann emphasized the need for more sustainable agricultural systems that would also make agricultural operations more profitable.

“We also have to find ways to address the ability to secure water for agriculture and balance the competition for this and other natural resources from residents, businesses and other stakeholders,” he said.

All panelists concurred that the best way for area landowners to improve their operations was to get involved in groups, organizations and programs dedicated to finding solutions to the challenges they face. Some of the suggestions for getting involved included participation in commodity groups, agriculture industry organizations and farmer and rancher community-based organizations in addition to collaborating with Texas A&M AgriLife personnel, the Texas Department of Agriculture and local Farm Bureau offices.

For information on how the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service helps sustain agriculture through educational programming, go to: https://tinyurl.com/TAMUAgriLifeSustainableAg.  

Health, Agriculture and the Role of Texas A&M AgriLife

The second event, “Health, Agriculture and the Role of Texas A&M AgriLife,” held Aug. 22 at the Texas A&M Higher Education Center in McAllen, had more than 100 attendees from Hidalgo and surrounding counties. The panel discussion included Stover, Texas Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.

The discussion centered on how Texas could become a model for the world on how to lower diet-related health care costs through nutrition and responsive agriculture.

The trio discussed how agriculture is at the center of solving a number of local, national and global challenges going forward. Stover contended that by utilizing science, agriculture can bring the agricultural producer and consumer closer together – and work to eliminate chronic diseases. As he explained, it is not just about reducing hunger, but about providing consumers with accessibility to both better quantity and quality of food.

“Agriculture can be the answer to lower health care costs,” Stover said. “We want Texas to be a model for the world on how to bring together producers and consumers.”

The event explored the connections between agriculture and health, with a particular focus on developing solutions for South Texas.

South Texas has been a focus for Texas A&M in terms of improving health and agriculture. Rising obesity, emerging infectious diseases, high uninsured rates and limited access to health care all contribute to a less-than-desirable quality of life for an overwhelming proportion of South Texans. Those reasons contributed to Texas A&M selecting the region for the pilot program of Healthy Texas.

The Healthy South Texas program began in 2015, and in its first three years made more than 1 million direct contacts with residents of South Texas as a collaboration between Texas A&M University Health Science Center and AgriLife Extension.

AgriLife Extension also celebrated Hinojosa’s leadership in South Texas by presenting him with the Extension in the City Award. The Extension in the City Award was given in recognition of Hinojosa’s leadership in and support of Texas A&M’s Urban Programs, particularly the Healthy South Texas program.

Learn more about Advancing Texas events at agrilife.org/advancingtexas/