By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Trade, legislative efforts and agricultural advocacy were among the topics highlighted at the Texas Farm Bureau County Presidents’ and Summer Conference.
More than 400 farmers and ranchers gathered in San Marcos for the June 26-28 meeting.
Agriculture and trade perspectives were the focus of a panel with Canadian and Mexican representatives. Consul General of Canada Sara Wilshaw and Consul General of Mexico Carlos Gonzalez Gutierrez discussed agricultural trade and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
“The Canadian market for imports for agricultural products is $43.5 billion. That’s a market everyone should care about,” Wilshaw said. “From Texas to Canada, you’re exporting $832 million worth of agricultural products. There’s opportunity in my mind for Texas farmers to grow that.”
Gutierrez echoed those sentiments.
“Trade is always a big issue,” he said. “We [Mexico] are your main market for exports. We are both depending on each other.”
Both Wilshaw and Gutierrez expressed interest in modernizing NAFTA.
“We are always trying to expand our market access,” Wilshaw said, noting that Canadian growers face many of the same challenges as Texas farmers.
The 85th Texas Legislature regular session and the upcoming special session were of importance to members.
State Reps. Abel Herrero and Cecil Bell Jr. and State Sens. Dawn Buckingham and Charles Perry discussed highlights from the session.
“This legislative session was a lot like agriculture,” Bell said. “You don’t stop working cows if one cow gets out. You finish working. Then you go back and get the stragglers.”
That’s what Bell said they’re doing in the special session—finishing the items they didn’t get to in the regular session.
The legislators also touched on private property rights and water. They urged Farm Bureau members to keep in contact with their elected officials.
“Always tell me everything you think I need to know,” Herrero said. “Assume I know nothing about the bill and fill me in on everything.”
Farm Bureau leaders were also encouraged to share their agricultural stories with consumers, teachers, friends and those in their community.
Representatives from the Texas FFA Foundation and Texas 4-H discussed their agricultural advocacy efforts with youth leaders.
“We have to compete for the minds of our students,” Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation executive director, said. “If we don’t tell them about agriculture, somebody else will.”
During the conference, a registered dietitian shared ways to fight food myths with facts about agriculture.
“Not all of us are farmers, but we’re all eaters. We’re all consumers,” Amber Pankonin said. “We need to focus our efforts on the ‘moveable middle’—that 80 percent in the grey area who are open to learning more about agriculture and our food system.”
Other presentations included discussions on challenges for the next farm bill, TFB’s recent global agricultural education tour to Australia and New Zealand, groundwater, feral hog control methods and Texas fence law.