By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Wildlife, vineyards, orchards and forage production were a part of the 2023 Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Fall Tour held in the Hill Country.

More than 100 farmers and ranchers attended this year’s tour.

The three-day event exposes young farmers, ranchers, college students and agricultural professionals, between the ages of 18 to 35, to agriculture in a different region of Texas each year.

“Fall Tour is a great way to meet people and learn something new that you can take back to your own operation,” said Mark Zoeller, young agricultural professional and AgriLife Extension agent in Bandera County. “There are a lot of opportunities within Texas Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer & Rancher program that I’m just getting started in.”

This year’s tour included stops in and around Kerrville.

At Hilmy Cellars, the group learned about Texas grape production and winemaking.

“We were able to look around the winery and follow the process of how the wine is made, as well as learn where their grapes come from,” Zoeller said.

The Texas Hill Country is home to over 100 wineries and vineyards. Texas, which is the fifth-largest wine-producing state, has over 4,000 acres of producing vineyard farmland.

At Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Viticulture and Fruit Lab, participants learned more about the research being conducted on fruit production.

The Hill Country is also known for its sheep production, and the group heard from the Texas Hill Country Dorper Association about the benefits and challenges of raising Dorper sheep.

Fall Tour participants met with Russell Rogers to discuss hunting in the Hill Country and how to get involved in the outdoor recreation industry.

Participants visited Lindig Farms where they discussed hay production and farming in an everchanging landscape. Keith Lindig shared how he started his operation and the challenges he faces in one of the state’s most visited towns.

“I’ve been to the Hill Country before for research and as a tourist, but I didn’t realize how much it impacted the farmers and ranchers around here,” said Brittany Meyer, young agricultural professional and AgriLife Extension agent from Fort Worth. “I’ve thought about it, but I didn’t realize how deeply farmers and ranchers are impacted by the tourists.”

Another tour stop included Vogel Orchard where Fall Tour participants walked through the orchard and discussed tree planting, peach production and chilling hours for peaches.

They also visited Jenschke Orchards to learn about their diverse farm and agritourism business.

“I found the orchards to be interesting because in my job as an extension agent, I get asked a lot of questions about peach trees someone has in their backyard,” Zoeller said. “It was good to talk to different growers and learn more about them to share with my county.”

One of the final tour stops was Woodbury Taxidermy. The group toured the facility and learned how taxidermists preserve an animal for display.

“It’s really cool to see the process of how they do it and how it’s done. I didn’t know how long the actual process took and that it could be a year or two before a client gets their mount back,” Meyer said. “The taxidermists put so much into what they do to make sure they are giving their customer something they will enjoy.”

The Fall Tour concluded with a visit to Broken Arrow Ranch in Ingram where young farmers, ranchers and agricultural professionals learning about harvesting wild game meat.

The trip gave young farmers and ranchers a look at Hill Country agriculture and an opportunity to broaden their understanding of issues facing producers in a different area of the state.

“I love attending these events and being around like-minded people throughout the state that I don’t get to see often,” Meyer said. “I grew up in agriculture, but I enjoy getting to see other sides of our industry and talking with other farmers, ranchers and agricultural professionals.”

This year’s tour was held Sept. 8-10.

For more information on young farmer and rancher activities, visit texasfarmbureau.org/YFR or email youngfarmers@txfb.org.