Texans Helping Texans

If 2020 was the year from hell, it looks like 2021 is the year hell froze over.

This last week has been very tough on Texans as multiple winter storms swept across the Lone Star State, dropping over 29 million Texans in the deep freeze. Millions endured a “white out”, with historic, blistering cold, record snowfall, dangerous ice, closed schools, shuttered businesses and even closed churches. Over 4 million Texans lost power, many had no water, no natural gas and dwindling food supplies. All in the midst of a pandemic. Remember COVID-19? It’s been a tough week. But I have never been prouder to be a Texan.

Here in Texas, when a neighbor is in need, Texans step up to help. We’re here for our neighbors, to offer a hand up or at least a shoulder they can lean on. Whether it’s a hurricane, a wildfire, a global pandemic, or a record-busting winter storm, Texans pull together and help each other out. How many images of looting have you seen from Texas this week?

Here at the Texas Department of Agriculture, our folks have been doing our part, even as they struggled themselves. This week, my staff has been working relentlessly to help producers locate feed and hay for their livestock, find ways to get their products to market and locate agriculture processors that are open to try to keep the food chain moving. TDA field staff have been working directly with rural and urban food banks to help locate food for distribution, and with our rural hospitals making sure they have resources, equipment, and services open. Our school nutrition staff have worked to provide guidance to schools across the state serving as emergency warming centers or shelters.

Additionally, we’ve fired up the State of Texas Agriculture Relief Fund or STAR Fund to assist farmers and ranchers with agricultural disaster relief efforts. I encourage everyone to visit the TDAwebsite (www.texasagriculture.gov) if you’d like to make a donation.

And make no mistake, Texas farmers and ranchers are struggling right now, and they need our help. Dairy farmers are dumping millions of dollars’ worth of milk every day due to lack of power and natural gas at processing plants. Trucks needed to move produce are stuck. Feed mills have been forced to shut down to conserve energy, so producers are desperate to find feed for their livestock.

Poultry producers are facing a massive loss due to lack of energy needed to heat incubators and facilities. Without access to power, water and feed producers are fearful their livestock will die from exposure and lack of nutrition. That’s not mentioning the damage Texas citrus has encountered with the deep freeze. Citrus producers in the Rio Grande Valley have already seen a 60% loss in grapefruit and with temperatures below freezing ice buildup in the fruit is sure to cause continued crop loss. It has been over 30 years since the valley has seen a destructive freeze like this.

Consequently, this week I issued a red alert about the state of our food supply chain here in Texas. Because of this unprecedented storm, consumers will see empty shelves once they return to the grocery store. If milk, butter or other agriculture products are available, they will likely be more expensive. Consumers will pay more, but farmers and ranchers will earn less.

When supply chains back up, farmers and ranchers receive record low prices and consumers pay record prices- when they can least afford it.

But right now, as so many Texans struggle to help others in need, the help we need the most is from our own Governor. Where I come from, we have a saying for Governor Abbot’s efforts during this crisis: he’s been “a day late and a dollar short”.

I have called repeatedly on Governor Abbott to step up to the plate and designate agriculture as a critical infrastructure and make it a priority for electrical power and gas. Right now, hospital workers, first responders, fire and police are the priority for power and that’s as it should be. But they all need to eat. And without Texas agriculture, food becomes as scarce as any other commodity. after this devastating disaster.

Rural Texas is the heart of this great state, and the food they provide feeds us all.

Texans are tough. We’ll make it through this, just like every other challenge we have faced. But we’ll only do so if we work together, and we take care of what matters most -- each other.

An eighth-generation Texas farmer and rancher, Sid Miller is the 12th Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). A ten-time world champion rodeo cowboy, he has devoted his life to promoting Texas agriculture, rural communities and the western heritage of Texas.

I am calling on the Governor and all other state officials to join me in providing resources that will assist producers and communities across the state navigate this difficult time. They must immediately address the energy crisis in rural Texas and prepare to help get producers back on their feet

TEMPLE – Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Carl Ray Polk, Jr. to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) for a term set to expire on February 1, 2023. Polk joined the TSSWCB in May of 2017.

Polk is a resident of Lufkin and a partner at Corner Capitol Advisors, LLC. He is also an owner and operator of Polk Land & Cattle Co. in Angelina and Houston Counties. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of The George H. Henderson, Jr. Exposition Center, the Texas Wildlife Association, as well as Texas & Southwest Cattle Raisers Association, presently serving on the Executive Committee and as the second vice president. In addition, he serves on the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Private Landowners Advisory Committee. Polk attended Kilgore College and The University of Texas at Austin and completed the Mergers and Acquisition Program through the Anderson School of Business at UCLA in Los Angeles, CA. Carl Ray and his wife, Romy have two children, Preston and Mary Grace. “We are privileged to have Mr. Polk serving on our board alongside a distinguished group of individuals pursuing the protection and enhancement of the natural resources of Texas. We will continue to work to provide our Soil Water Conservation Districts and producers across the state the tools they need to apply best management practices in order to put conservation efforts on the ground,” said Rex Isom, TSSWCB Executive Director.

TSSWCB established in 1939, administers Texas’ soil and water conservation law and delivers coordinated natural resource conservation programs through the State’s 216 Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Additionally, TSSWCB is the lead agency for planning, implementing, and managing programs for preventing and abating agricultural and silvicultural nonpoint sources of water pollution. TSSWCB also works to ensure that the State’s network of 2,000 flood control dams are protecting lives and property by providing operation, maintenance, and structural repair grants to local government sponsors. Polk’s appointment by Governor Abbott is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Farmers and ranchers across Texas face ongoing production-related challenges and economic risks. The supply of water and other natural resources in Texas is under tremendous stress from population growth and other factors. Rising health care costs are a burden to Texans ($239 billion annually). Youth need to develop essential behaviors of character, citizenship and leadership, and valuable life skills to prepare them for college and career opportunities.

AgriLife Extension collaborates with public and private organizations to deliver impactful educational and applied research programs that address critical issues facing Texans. Offers wide-ranging educational programs in agriculture, focused on research-based production and management practices, evaluation of technologies, improved decision-making

and job training. Delivers researched-based educational resources on water quality and use, soil nutrient management, watershed protection, wildlife and fisheries practices, and ecosystem and parks management. Health and wellness programs focus on diabetes education, nutrition, exercise, food safety, child safety seat education and early cancer detection.

Offers many state- and industry-accredited programs to meet continuing education and certification requirements for thousands of people who provide important community services. More than 550,000 youth participated in Texas 4-H through program areas in STEM, Natural Resources, Agricultural and Livestock, Leadership and Citizenship and Family and Community Health. Conducted 127,600 educational events and reached 18.4 million educational and other contacts in 2019.

Programs focused on agricultural production and management practices, evaluation of technologies, and improved decision-making led to economic gains of more than $486 million for agricultural producers in 2019. Use of the Farm Bill decision aid to analyze 17,305 farm units showed an impact of improved decision-making valued at $216 million.

The economic impact of selected diabetes education, physical activity and nutrition education programs was estimated at $79.8 million (in lifetime health care cost savings). Programs focused on water conservation and wildlife and ecosystem management led to $107 million in economic benefits by conserving 3.1 billion gallons of water, reducing wildlife property damage and adopting selected management practices on 1.3 million managed acres.

Through its continuing education and certification programs, AgriLife Extension directly supports 79,450 jobs in Texas, with an estimated annual wage base of $1.5 billion. In 2019, AgriLife Extension engaged more than 93,600 volunteers who contributed a total of 5.5 million hours (2,633 FTEs) valued at an estimated $139.3 million.