By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Volunteers for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) spent a day learning about agriculture with the help of Texas Farm Bureau (TFB).

The 13th Annual HLSR Tours Committee Ag Education Day was held Jan. 18 to train volunteers to lead agricultural tours at the fair.

The HLSR Tours Committee is an education-based committee responsible for giving agricultural tours around the fairgrounds to school kids, adults, international visitors and VIP guests during the fair.

The volunteers learned received a crash course on all things agriculture.

“We want to ensure that when volunteers give a tour or presentation, they’re providing accurate information about agriculture to both kids and adults,” said Allen Kaminski, founding member of the HLSR Tours Committee and former TFB state director. “For many visitors, this is their first exposure to agriculture, so it’s important that they leave with the right knowledge.”

TFB and other agricultural groups gave presentations, demonstrations and answered questions about agriculture.

“There were seven breakout sessions, and each session lasted about 30 minutes,” said TFB District 9 State Director John Griffith, who led a presentation over swine. “It was a great opportunity to dive deeper into the topic, and I approached it as if I were teaching an ag class.”

In addition to swine, volunteers learned about beef cattle, sheep and goats, bees, poultry and misconceptions in agriculture.

“Their knowledge of agriculture is very basic,” Kaminski said. “Some may have spent summers on their grandparents’ farm, while others have an interest in agriculture and want to give back by volunteering at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. But overall, their knowledge is fairly limited.”

TFB’s Doorways to Agriculture exhibit was also on display at the training to help volunteers dig into agricultural facts and information.

“It’s crucial to engage people of all ages about agriculture and its significance,” Griffith said. “This event gave us a chance to share our stories and highlight the positive aspects of agriculture because misinformation is often spread.”

The Tours Committee focuses on sharing the importance of agriculture in Texas’ economy through the AGVENTURE tours. Over 300,000 visitors walk through the exhibits each year. About 10,000 of those visitors are school kids on field trips, and the remaining consists of scheduled tours and fairgoers.

The 2025 HLSR is March 4-23.

To learn more, visit rodeohouston.com.

For more information about TFB’s agricultural education efforts, visit texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.

Learn more about agriculture’s youth activities and opportunities at texasfarmbureau.org/youth.