By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter
Planning to plant hemp in Texas in 2020? Have questions about changes in farm bill safety net programs? Both will be addressed, along with emergency management, at the first-ever Southeast Texas Agriculture Summit Dec. 11 at the NRG Center in Houston.
“It’s going to be a great educational event where people are going to be able to come and get the latest research-based information that Texas A&M is putting out on a variety of subjects,” Shannon Dietz, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Harris County, said in an interview with the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Radio Network.
Dr. Calvin Trostle, AgriLife Extension Service agronomist, will address hemp production in Texas in 2020.
“He will be our keynote speaker, and he is basically the go-to guy for hemp-related questions and subject matter here in Texas,” Dietz said. “He will be here to provide information on the new collaboration between USDA [the U.S. Department of Agriculture] and Texas Department of Agriculture on the policy that’s being rolled out right now.”
A representative from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR), which is co-hosting the event with AgriLife Extension, will provide an update on HLSR’s recent scholarship milestone.
Dr. Bart Fischer, co-director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center, will discuss farm policy for U.S. and Texas agriculture.
“He’s going to provide the latest on farm bill updates,” Dietz said.
Dr. Monty Dozier, AgriLife Extension program director for disaster assessment and recovery, will share recent changes in emergency management in Texas.
“We tend to be prone to natural disasters down here, whether they be flash flooding, hurricanes or what have you,” Dietz said. “With the new merger between Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) and AgriLife Extension, he will be providing some updates and some staffing changes that will directly impact how the southeast Texas region will be able to respond to emergencies.”
The summit will provide attendees with the opportunity to ask questions and explore what a variety of vendors have to offer.
“We haven’t had anything like this held in southeast Texas for quite a while now,” Dietz said. “We are excited to bring information back to the participants, back to the stakeholders here in Harris and the surrounding counties.”
One general continuing education unit will be available for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator license holders who bring their license with them.
Seating is limited. The cost is $20.
Registration starts at 9 a.m. in the NRG Center.
RSVP at https://agsummit2019.eventbrite.com or by calling the Extension office in Harris County at 713.274.0950.