By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
Forestry, livestock equipment manufacturing and the challenges of farming and ranching in the Pineywoods were a part of the 2026 Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Fall Tour.
More than 130 young farmers and ranchers attended this year.
The three-day event exposes young farmers, ranchers, college students and agricultural professionals between the ages of 18 and 35 to agriculture in a different region of Texas each year.
“Fall Tour is a great opportunity to network with others, see familiar faces and meet new people, which has definitely been accomplished this weekend,” said Meagan Cline, an AgriLife Extension agent in Bell County. “You never know whose hand you’re going to shake or what knowledge you’re going to gain that you can bring back.”
This year’s tour included stops in and around Longview.
At Efurd Orchards in Pittsburg, the group learned about the family’s produce operation, which includes peaches, berries and fresh vegetables sold directly to consumers through local markets.
The group stopped at Priefert Manufacturing in Mount Pleasant, where they learned about the company’s history and toured the manufacturing process behind its livestock equipment and steel.
“It was really cool getting to tour Priefert,” said Matthew Hoelscher, a farmer and rancher from Falls County. “They do more than just livestock products. There’s a lot of steel work that I wasn’t aware of, and it was cool to see how they’ve grown their company and diversified their products.”
The visit also offered a lesson on the importance of adapting to change.
“Priefert was a great example of evolving in agriculture and introducing new technologies,” Cline said. “Everybody is solving problems every single day, so you have to figure out how to do it and make your product the best it can be to serve those around you.”
At Smarty Roping Supply, farmers and ranchers toured the retail operation, which offers feed, tack, saddles, ropes and Smarty Rodeo training products. The company specializes in roping training equipment and supplies designed to help everyone from beginners to experienced competitors improve their skills. Participants also received roping lessons from professional roper Justin Johnson.
The group heard from Ryon Cox with Cox Concrete Products. He share his family’s story in concrete manufacturing of agricultural products like feed and water troughs. Cox also led participants in an activity to draw a picture of a farm, highlighting how movies and media have shaped a stereotypical image of agriculture that often doesn’t reflect today’s farms and ranches. He encouraged the group to use their own experiences to tell agriculture’s story.
Another tour stop included a visit to the Texas Forestry Museum, where the group learned about the history of the forestry industry in East Texas and its impact on the region.
The group visited Stephen F. Austin State University and toured the Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research Center to see the research being conducted there.
Participants also had an onsite logging experience to give them a firsthand look at the practices and the work involved in harvesting timber. They heard from Rob Hughes, executive director of the Texas Forestry Association, who shared insight into the forestry industry and its importance to Texas agriculture and rural communities.
“I was amazed that they harvest every 35 years, depending on what they’re harvesting for,” Cline said. “I grew up on a cow-calf operation, so we’re selling something every few months. It amazed me how much time they have to wait and how much they have to invest upfront before those investments pay for themselves.”
The Fall Tour concluded with a visit to Downtown Nacogdoches and dinner at Fredonia Brewery.
The trip gave young farmers and ranchers a look at agriculture in East Texas, a chance to network and learn techniques to adopt on their farms and ranches.
“I always have a great experience networking with other producers who are my age,” Hoelscher said. “There’s so much knowledge I take back with me, along with the friendships that are developed. I look forward to seeing them each year.”
This year’s tour was held Sept. 11-13.
For more information on young farmer and rancher activities, visit texasfarmbureau.org/YFR or email youngfarmers@txfb.org.
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