Conversations about modern farming and ranching were on the menu at the recent Texas Restaurant Association (TFB) Marketplace trade show in San Antonio.
Restaurant owners and chefs learned more about food production and the farm families behind it. And the farmers and ranchers in attendance were able to meet those who cook and serve their products.
Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) provided elements of its new Doorways to Agriculture exhibit at a large agriculture pavilion on the trade show floor, partnering with Dairy MAX and the Texas Beef Council.
TFB President Russell Boening also participated in a panel discussion featuring farmers and ranchers.
“Our goal here is to connect the food that they are serving in their restaurant and connect it back to where it came from, from the farmers and ranchers of Texas,” said Dakota Massey, TFB associate director of Organization, Urban Outreach.
It was the second TRA Marketplace for TFB to attend after it first exhibited at the event in 2019 in Houston. The July 10-12 Marketplace in San Antonio attracted about 3,000 attendees.
“We brought several pieces of our Doorways to Agriculture exhibit. We have the theater, which has short meet-a-farmer video clips featuring crops that we grow in Texas that are a little bit more specialized than what we normally think about. And then inside our exhibit trailer, folks can find things that are connected to their house from agriculture, whether that’s in their garage, their kitchen or even in their bedroom. So, it’s not necessarily all about food but also about different byproducts, as well,” Massey said.
Interactive displays in the Doorways to Agriculture exhibit help attendees learn more about Texas agriculture.
Dr. Emily Williams Knight, TRA president and CEO, said it was great for the Texas restaurant industry to host another in-person Marketplace event.
“I think most importantly, we are back together. There was a time we didn’t know if we were going to be able to do this again and to see all of these incredible people here together,” Knight said. “I think what you’ll see is restaurants making that connection with food, because they need to be able to say to a customer, ‘Hey, by the way, I know where that came from.’ It’s also just educating the public that’s here about the role, especially here in Texas, that our farms play. And Farm Bureau is a huge partner for us.”
Joining Boening in the panel discussion on “The Dirt on What We Eat: A Discussion with Local Farmers and Ranchers” were TFB members Dr. Jason Cleere, Texas A&M beef cattle specialist, and David Volleman of Volleman’s Family Farm. TFB Director of Communications Gary Joiner moderated the panel discussion.
TFB Director of Communications Gary Joiner (left) moderates a panel on “The Dirt on What We Eat” with (left to right) TFB President Russell Boening, Texas A&M Beef Cattle Specialist Dr. Jason Cleere and dairy farmer David Volleman.