Issue 28 New by THEAGMAG

Michelle Martin

Owner/Editor michelle@theagmag.org (956) 330-8870

James 1:20

For a man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires

Al Benavides Graphic Design (956) 492-6407

In This Issue:

A Letter from the Editor Have you ever had to do something you didn’t want to do? Maybe go to work, do the pile of laundry that is staring at you, go to a doctor’s appointment, clean the house, attend a function. I can think of a whole list of things I don’t want to do. For instance, my taxes at this moment. I do not want to do them, but it is something that has to be done. Throughout life we are faced with a multitude of things we don’t want to do, but we know we have to. Some of things we have to do are more serious and more challenging than others. But, what I have learned through taking on these dreaded “to-do” lists, is that sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do, in order to get something better. For example, before I started my magazine I was in a job environment that was less than desirable. I was judged, I was criticized, and my job was almost impossible to even do. I couldn’t understand why God was allowing me to endure such a place that caused me so much pain and hurt. I wanted to quit. However, I pushed through (barely) and now I can see why I was placed in such a situation. In that time I was able to learn how to work under pressure, how to handle difficult people, and how not to be so sensitive. Had I not done the thing I didn’t want to do – which was going to work every – day during that time, I would not have learned all these things and I don’t think I would have been ready to start this magazine God had set before me. I am not saying that by doing that pile of laundry you are going to learn about yourself. What I am saying is that there are difficult things we must do to help us learn about ourselves. Maybe you are suffering a breaking marriage or friendship; the last thing you want to do is confront it. You may not want to see or be told about your flaws. Maybe you are suffering from an addiction and you do not want to fix it because you are afraid that people will look down on you. Maybe you are having to lay a loved one to rest and you can’t bare to do it because of the pain it causes. There are so many things we are faced with that we just have to do in order to live the life God gave us and grow. We’ve heard the saying, “ when God closes a door, he opens another.” Some of those closed doors leave scars, but it’s the scars that remind us – we survived – we are much stronger than we think. God gives us challenges in order to grow us. He places us in not-so-comfortable situations so we may grow. Sometimes, we pass His test – sometimes we do not. If we don’t, we take the test again when God administers it. God knows the exact numbers of hair on your head, therefore He knows the plan for you – our part in this is to just follow it. If we only did the things we wanted to do, we wouldn’t be the survivalists we are and I don’t think we would be the people we are. Take that step, and take on that challenge to become who God wants you to be. Even if you don’t want to. It will be worth it in the end. Owner/Creator of AG MAG

pg. 6 40 years of citrus production in the lower Rio Grande Valley pg.10 Post Emergence Weed Control Options in Grain Sorghum pg.12 Brad Cowan’s Retirement Party Photos pg.16 Managing Nature A More Natural Way pg.20 A Global Gathering Comes To The United States pg.22 Cashing In On Kale pg.26 Heron Castillo Likes A Good Challenge pg.30 Winning: Small Food Startups pg.33 Texas Survey Indicates Strong Public Support For Eminent Domain Reform pg.34 2018 Farm Bill Promotes Sustainability of America’s Farms And Ranches pg.38 Eminent Domain: What Every Landowner Should Know pg.44 Pathogens Are Scary, But Food Safety Shouldn’t Be pg.47 A Letter From The Editor pg.48 Balanced Plant Nutrition pg.52 2019 FFA and 4-H Calendar pg.56 Clover: The Four-Leafed Benefits pg.59 Tough Enough pg.60 Electronic Monitoring of Potato Psyllid Feeding Behavior pg.68 Los Fresnos Livestock Show Photos pg.72 Does My Child Need A Booster Seat? pg.76 2019 Star Gala Photos Year 5, Issue 28 Mar/Apr 2019. No part of this publication can be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ag Mag reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions or consequence arising from it. All correspondence to the publication become the property of Ag Mag. Ag Mag is published bi-monthly ©2019. To advertise in Ag Mag, call (956) 330-8870 or email michelle@theagmag.org

40 years of citrus production in the Lower Rio Grande Valley: State of the Texas citrus industry in the face of citrus greening disease.

itrus greening disease (HLB; Huanglong bing) is one of the most devastating diseases facing the US citrus industry in many years. This incurable disease is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and is spread by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP; Diaphorina citri Kuwayama) which feed primarily on citrus trees. When they feed, they acquire the bacterium and spread it to other trees where it can remain dormant for years. The HLB disease can cause blotchy, chlorotic leaves, dieback, misshapen and off-color fruit, etc. Though one of the most detrimental symptoms is the loss of yield and eventual decline and death of affected trees. Since the discovery of the Asian citrus psyllid in Florida in 1998 and the diagnosis of citrus greening disease in 2005 all citrus producing regions in the US are facing the possibility of yield and profit losses due to this devastating disease. Florida has been the most affected region with up to 41% yield losses compared to pre-HLB production.

BY DR CATHERINE SIMPSON

Figure 1. Total citrus bearing acres in the US, Texas, Florida, and California.

The other major citrus producing regions of California and Texas have been waging a battle to prevent the spread of the disease by actively suppressing the Asian citrus psyllid through area-wide management programs, hoping to reduce the spread of HLB. While over 90% of citrus acreage is considered HLB infected in Florida, this is not yet the case in Texas citrus. The Lower Rio Grande Valley is home to the majority of citrus produced in Texas, specializing in deep red grapefruit like our state fruit, the Rio Red grapefruit. This industry has an approximate economic impact of $465.9 million on the Texas economy annually according to Texas Citrus Mutual, which would be greatly impacted if HLB caused a decline as devastating as we are currently seeing in Florida. Nevertheless, we have seen increases in citrus acreage, investments in new technology, management programs, and greater total production in recent years. This created questions on what the actual state of production is and how Texas is faring compared to other citrus producing regions. To give a broader perspective on this, I went back to the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and collected data on total citrus bearing acres, production value (not adjusted for inflation), and calculated production value

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Figure 2. Total citrus bearing acres in Texas from 1979 to 2018.

on a per acre basis for the US, Florida, California, and Texas. Historically, the Lower Rio Grande Valley has never had an amount of acreage that could compare with regions like Florida or California (Fig. 1). Peaking at around 67,000 acres in 1984, this is a far cry from peak production acreage in Florida (815,000 in 1997) or California (277,000 in 1999).

LRGV to approximately 8,000 acres by 1991. After these events, citrus production increased steadily over time reaching the 24,000 acres of bearing citrus today with approximately 6,000 additional acres that are not in production yet. However, production acreage does not tell the entire story of Texas citrus and our place in the US market. Production value may be considered more important than total acreage. The Texas citrus market is driven by fresh fruit which provides larger returns and a higher profit margin than the juice market. While overall production value of our Texas citrus is still less than that of Florida and California (Fig. 3), it has increased steadily over time reaching over $100 million in 2018 (Fig. 4). If we break this down further to production value per acre, Texasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; production value per acre exceeded that of Florida in 2016 and continues to increase (Fig. 5).

Figure 3. Citrus production value from 1979-2018 (not adjusted for inflation).

This production was dramatically reduced by a devastating freeze in 1983 which dropped citrus acreage to approximately 30,000 acres by 1985 and was followed by another freeze event in 1989 (Fig. 2). The effects of the second hard freeze event were even worse, reducing production acreage in the Figure 5. Citrus production value on a per-acre basis (not adjusted for inflation).

This shows great promise for the future of the Texas citrus industry. In spite of complications due to HLB and its spread in Texas, we have increased acreage, production, and value of our citrus. With continued investment and advances in research and technology we can increase our presence in the global citrus market and grow our industry further. The Texas citrus industry has a proven record of resiliency and quality. Our growers have shown this time and time again and with their persistence we will continue to rise to meet any challenges the industry will face in the future.

Figure 4. Texas Citrus production value from 1979 to 2018 (not adjusted for inflation).

MARCH/APRIL 2019

POST EMERGENCE WEED CONTROL OPTIONS IN GRAIN SORGHUM BY DR BRENT BEAN

A successful pre-emergence weed control program is critical for sorghum growers. However, when conditions do not cooperate and pre-emergence products fail, then growers must turn to post emergence herbicide options. Growers can choose from several products for post emergence broadleaf weed control in sorghum. Atrazine combined with crop oil is one of the most effective herbicides when weeds are small, especially for control of Palmer amaranth. Soil restrictions often prevent the use of Atrazine as a pre-emergence treatment, but these restrictions do not apply once the crop has emerged. Growers should, however, check for restrictions that

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apply to any rotational crop that may follow grain sorghum. Clarity (dicamba) applied at 8 ounces per acre or 2,4-D applied at 1.0-1.5 pints per acre also can be used safely in grain sorghum. But beware, these products can cause injury if not used properly. The addition of surfactants and other adjuvants with Clarity or 2,4-D tend to increase crop injury and, for this reason, are not recommended. Clarity or 2,4-D should be applied after all sorghum has emerged but before the height exceeds 15 inches. Drop nozzles are recommended once sorghum exceeds 8 inches in height. Occasionally, some plant leaning or leaf rolling

may occur, but these effects are usually outgrown within two weeks. Weeds less than 4 inches in height are much easier to control than larger weeds. If dicamba drift is a concern, the new low-volatile products Engenia, FeXapan and Xtendimax are labeled for use in sorghum. Growers can use Starane Ultra in place of dicamba or 2,4-D if kochia or morning glory species are present. Starane Ultra should be applied with a nonionic surfactant and has very good activity on these weeds, though it is weak against pigweed. Starane Ultra also is safer on sorghum plants and can be broadcast-applied up to the seven-leaf stage. One of the most effective products used in sorghum for broadleaf weed control is Huskie, an ALS-inhibitor herbicide plus bromoxynil (Buctril), but the product should not be used where ALS-resistant weeds are present. Although most effective on small weeds, growers can use Huskie as a rescue treatment on larger weeds if necessary. Huskie can be applied on up to 30-inch-tall sorghum plants prior to flag leaf emergence. Best control is achieved with the addition of a low rate of atrazine plus adjuvants. Temporary sorghum leaf spotting and yellowing will likely occur, but sorghum typically rebounds from these injury symptoms within a few days.

Growers should use Permit with crop oil or nonionic surfactant. Permit can be applied to sorghum up to 15 inches in height, but the product is not effective on many broadleaf weeds. If both nutsedge and broadleaf weeds are present, growers should consider using Yukon, a pre-mix product that contains both Permit and dicamba. A final product for consideration is Peak, which is also an ALS inhibitor. Best control is achieved when Peak is applied with atrazine or dicamba, and growers can use it on sorghum plants up to 30 inches in height. Crop rotation restriction to cotton or soybeans is 18 months and often prevents its use. Unfortunately, no good post emergence grass control options exist for sorghum at this time. Atrazine or quinclorac, sold under various trade names, may provide some control if applied to very small grass. For now, sorghum growers must rely primarily on pre-emergence herbicides for annual grass control. Visit the Sorghum Checkoff website at SorghumCheckoff.com for links to various state extension weed control guides and a more complete list of products. Always read and follow label instructions and consider regional and crop rotation restrictions when using herbicides.

For fields with nutsedge, Permit is the herbicide of choice.

MARCH/APRIL 2019

BRAD COWANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Retirement Party

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PRESCRIBED BURNING IN TEXAS: Texas NRCS staff, TAMUK faculty and students after USDA Career Experience presentations.

MANAGING NATURE A MORE NATURAL WAY. “fire”

The word often brings negative images to mind. Unmanaged, fire can become uncontrollable, ravaging the landscapes we hold dear. Fire, though, has been a natural and ecological part of Texas’s history since the beginning of time. Fire has shaped and molded this great state’s countryside, adapting our native lands and vegetation to be fire tolerant and recover quickly once the flames have extinguished.

time and increases the amount of fuel present, this creates a major threat to humans, property, and land if a wildfire were to ignite. By intentionally managing fuel stores through prescribed burning, we reduce the risk of potential wildfires and reduce the intensity and severity of the damage of a wildfire if one does start. A prescribed fire is controlled and managed; an unmanaged wild

It has only been within the past 100 years or so that fire has been given a negative connotation. Under the watchful eye of an experienced prescribed burn manager, fire can be a positive and safe land management tool to keep our native habitat healthy. Prescribed burning takes place when a trained professional (typically a Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Manager) strategically and intentionally ignites a fire during a selected period of time in a predetermined area in order to achieve specific objectives. Objectives may include reducing fuel loads, managing rangeland, developing habitat, or promoting native species. Making the decision to start a prescribed burn takes a lot of factors into account: wind speed and direction, air temperature, relatively humidity, vegetative growth, soil moisture, and more. Conditions must be just right before a prescribed burn manager will use this tool, as safety is the key focus before, during, and after a managed burn. Why light fires? What are the benefits? Careful introduction of fire is beneficial to native wildlife habitat and rangeland, but also provides benefits to Texans, their homes, and property. One main reason to conduct a prescribed burn is to decrease the amount of fuel stores or fuel loads and other vegetative material in the environment. An accumulation of fuel stores or fuel loads can become a risk. When naturally occurring vegetative growth builds up over

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(South Texas Wintergarden pasture prior to prescribed burn)

fire impacts rangeland, wildlife habitat, homes, and people. Fire through prescribed burning is an excellent conservation and land management tool. Prescribed burning improves the overall health of the land and habitat by increasing plant quality and production of native plants, and improving forage and browse palatability for both game and non-game animals. As additional desirable forages become available, more native animals are attracted back to the landscape. Fire also returns nutrients back into the soil and improves watershed functionality, resulting in increased water quality and quantity. Prescribed burning can help control certain parasites, pests, and diseases, while reducing non-native or inva-

(South Texas Wintergarden pasture after prescribed burn)

(East Texas Piney Woods without prescribed burning)

sive species that are not fire tolerant. More and more farmers and ranchers are also seeing the benefits of range management through prescribed fires. In fact, prescribed burning can improve pasture accessibility, increase production of forage and browse, suppress and manage woody species and cacti, reduces the need for chemical and mechanical treatments, and is one of the least expensive forms of range management. Fire has always been natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conservation tool. When used correctly, fire can reduce the risk of severe wildfires while promoting the growth of our native species and habitat. Prescribed burning allows us to manage our environment a more natural way, teaching us that not all fire is bad. The Texas Department of Agriculture houses the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prescribed Burning Board, which establishes the standards and training for certified and insured prescribed burn managers. This article contains information from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

(East Texas Piney Woods with prescribed burning)

MARCH/APRIL 2019

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(956) 330-8870 michelle@theagmag.org

A GLOBAL GATHERING

COMES TO THE UNITED STATES BY JEAN LONIE

In March, nearly 100 agriculturalists from around the world will be gathering together in the United States of America. The 2019 Nuffield International Farming Scholars program (www.nuffieldinternational.org) will host their annual Contemporary Scholars Conference in Ames, Iowa, and it will be a showcase of agriculture in the U.S. It is a very unique gathering, as participants will come from 14 countries and represent a wide cross-section of the global industry. While the Nuffield International Farming Scholars program is relatively new in the United States, it has a 71-year history around the world. More than 1700 farmers, ranchers, fishers, and agriculturalists have participated in the program, traveling the global to learn about the industry in other countries and find best practices they can bring back home. The point of Nuffield International is to give people in agriculture the chance to grow their own awareness and explore things they are curious about in the industry – so that they can bring new knowledge and ideas back that will benefit their operation, their community, and the larger agricultural industry. From operators with hundreds of thousands of acres to highly specialized farmers located on just a handful of acres, these are some of the brightest and most curious producers in global agriculture – and for one week out of the year they gather together to learn from each other and explore the industry in their host country. For the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to work with Nuffield International as we try to grow the program here in the U.S. There are now six Nuffield International Scholars from the U.S., and we have had two delegates participate from this country – both of whom are Texans. In addition, this year’s conference will also feature two speakers from Texas.

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There are a few reasons to be excited about the presence of the Texans in Iowa. First, it’s important to remind the Nuffield Scholars attending that the snapshot of agriculture they will see in Iowa is not reflective of the entire U.S. industry. In fact, Texas agriculture is much closer to being a microcosm of the industry across the country, so it’s important that we have representation at this global session. Another reason to be excited is that it gives more people in Texas agriculture the chance to expand their global awareness, which has great potential to benefit all of us in the industry. Every day there are global decisions being made that impact what we are doing here in Texas – whether we know it or not. There are policies being made, trade agreements negotiated, production challenges in other parts of the world opening up new market space for us. We need people with knowledge about production agriculture to be in those conversations to represent us and be our voice. It is very easy for people with good intentions but limited practical knowledge about our industry to make decisions that have massive repercussions for all of us; around the world Nuffield Scholars are serving as industry and thought leaders to help bring the farmer/ rancher perspective to regulatory and policy discussions at the local,

national, and global levels.

muster to speak on its behalf.

The third reason to be excited is that this opens up a lot of opportunity for intellectual trade missions, or some of the best agricultural field trips ever! This summer Texas will host a small group of Nuffield Scholars (about 10 of them) for a week. These folks will be traveling through up to 8 countries over the span of 7 weeks to get to know agriculture in different regions of the world and to develop their own global networks. We hosted a small group last year, and they were astounded by how big and diverse the agriculture industry is in Texas. And we hope that in the future farmers and ranchers from Texas will take advantage of the network to go see agricultural operations in other parts of the world.

Through Nuffield I’ve had the opportunity to visit with people developing agricultural policy around the world. To a person, they are good folks who truly want to do good work. But without insight on the realities and practicalities of production agriculture there is a lot of potential for the policies and programs they create to harm our industry more than they help us. This is where you come in. The big ask is to engage with your elected officials, your neighbors, and the folks at the grocery store who may have some confusion about producing food in the U.S. Don’t miss the moments to educate and engage, because you have a great story to tell about what you do and how you do it.

Being part of the Nuffield International Farming Scholars program was life-changing for me. It connected me with a great peer group of people as passionate and curious about agriculture as I was. And it took me out of my comfort zone to show me that even in places I didn’t know much about, in agriculture we speak a common language that works across a multitude of countries and cultures. From a 20,000 cow dairy in Qatar to the heart of the European parliament; cattle operations in northern Australia to fields of coffee in Brazil, the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture are pretty similar. There are lots of discussion about production and numbers and rainfall levels (that is definitely universal!), but the biggest challenge is also our biggest opportunity: people. Nuffield International is focused on one thing: developing the capacity of individuals in agriculture so they can help inspire and engage their fellow producers and provide global leadership for a world that is increasingly disconnected from where their food, fiber, and fuel comes from. Texas is a leader in agricultural production in the U.S., and what is produced here rivals production levels for some countries around the world. This connection with the Nuffield International Farming Scholars program can help us export more than some outstanding Go Texan products; it gives us access to both share ideas with and learn from some of the best agriculturalists in the world. This is important, because at the end of the day we are all part of one industry and our industry needs every voice we can

And if you’re willing, reach out and explore the Nuffield International program. See if it might be a fit for you. Or host the group when they come to Texas. These are engaging, excited producers who love getting into conversations with other people in agriculture to learn what they are doing and share stories of successes and failures. We hope to host a small group of Nuffield Scholars each year, so let me know if you are interested in connecting with them. In the future I’ll share a little bit more about some of the global programs Nuffield is connected with and why it is so important we have farmers, ranchers, and fishers in these meetings. But as we prepare for the 2019 conference I wanted to share with you a program I am really passionate about and that I hope will continue to grow in Texas.

MARCH/APRIL 2019

Cashing in on

KALE BY BARBARA STORZ

ale is an ancient, non-heading cabb age that has been cultivated for over 2000 years across all of Europe, parts of Africa and China. Historically, in these areas, kale is widely utilized in everyday cooking and, in some countries, kale appears in holiday dishes. In the United States, however, kale has mostly been assigned the role of garnish, either dividing raw meats on display or decorating a salad bar. Commercial production of kale in the United States was very limited, until around 2012. Jeff Breckler, in Sales with J & D Produce in Edinburg, says, “Kale suddenly went from a garnish to the healthiest vegetable on the planet over night, when Dr. Oz began talking about the health benefits of kale on his television show.” Soon, kale appeared as the featured ingredient on several cooking shows and in 2012 cookbooks, devoted solely to kale, began appearing in stores. In 2013, Dr. Drew Ramsey, a psychiatrist, author, and farmer, co-authored with Jennifer Iserloh, a chef and writer, the book, Fifty Shades of Kale. Dr. Ramsey, who promotes a healthy diet as a way to control or eliminate depression, explains, the health benefits of kale in practical terms and provides beautifully photographed pictures of each recipe. And there was more. To date, a total of 16 cookbooks have been published on kale, including one by another

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doctor and several by nutritionists and health coaches! These books, as well as numerous magazine articles on kale, appeared during a time that many people were learning how to boost their nutrition levels by juicing and vegetarian and vegan diet enthusiasts were looking for ways to get valuable nutrition without adding calories and bulk. Additionally, vegetable bowls, often including kale as a primary ingredient, have become a mainstay at national and regional food establishments, as well as, being available in grocery stores.

So, what’s so special about kale?

It truly is a powerhouse of nutrition at a very reasonable price. Like most bunches of greens, kale is about $2.00 per bunch in grocery stores. One cup of kale contains 684% of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin K, 204% of Vitamin A, and 134% of Vitamin C, along with more calcium than a small carton of milk, and the minerals iron, manganese, along with the complex of B Vitamins, including folate, essential for brain development. Kale also contains a variety of anti-oxidants that fight depression, lower blood pressure, fight cancer, and work to lower cholesterol and protect heart and eye health. Kale also helps to detox our bodies and works to correct our since of equilibrium. For all of these reasons, kale has been dubbed a “super food.” Kale production in the U. S. climbed from just over 900 farms, nationwide, reporting income from kale, to over

So, what’s so special about kale?

degree programs, including those in food production, are being introduced to our area with their new campus in McAllen.

In south Texas, it’s a good time to be a vegetable farmer. Barbara Storz is a local horticulturist, garden writer and radio show host. You can listen to her garden show at 710 KURV Radio every Saturday morning from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. or e-mail her at bstorz@rcommunications.com.

Kale also contains a variety of anti-oxidants that fight depression, lower blood pressure, fight cancer, and work to lower cholesterol and protect heart and eye health. Kale also helps to detox our bodies and works to correct our since of equilibrium. For all of these reasons, kale has been dubbed a “super food.” Kale production in the U. S. climbed from just over 900 farms, nationwide, reporting income from kale, to over 2,500 farms in 2012. Locally, one farm/packing house operation, J & D Produce, has gone from 154 acres of kale in production in the 2011-12 growing season to 445 acres in the 2017-18 growing season. So, is the kale demand over? Not really, but it is stabilizing from its dramatic climb. Kale has served to bring attention not just to itself, but to many nutritious greens, like collards, Bok choy, and others. Beets and sweet potatoes have also benefited from the healthy vegetable talk. And, there is a building body of information coming out on the benefits of celery juice. It is not likely that so many cookbooks will be written about one single vegetable as we have seen with kale, but the publicity has brought much needed attention to the nutritional value of vegetables. Additionally, Texas A & M AgriLife Research has renewed its commitment statewide and locally to vegetable research and new

MARCH/APRIL 2019

Ag Mag Featured Farmer

Heron Castillo likes a good challenge Why else would he be growing canola —a wildly popular product harvested heavily in Canada that performs best in cool to cold weather – in the Rio Grande Valley. “I just like a challenge,” the Mercedes/Weslaco farmer said. “I got a call about it, knew nothing about canola but figured I would try.” Maybe the fact that Heron didn’t know much about it is why he’s doing it; there was nothing to scare him off or tell him he couldn’t do it (not that it would matter anyway). So far, he said, his first planting has been a positive experience. “It’s weird in this occupation to plant something that you’re not familiar with, but it’s a plant, it’s a life so to see it for the first time is wonderful,” Heron said. “It likes the cold, and it is grown a lot in Canada. I’ve been fortunate that since November we’ve had some cold weather on and off. I’m on my second watering right now and it seems that nothing (like pests) seem to bother it so I haven’t sprayed for them.”

Heron has been farming all his life, taking up the reins from his dad, Bruno Castillo, who farmed in Linares, Nuevo Leon before moving to the valley at a young age. “My dad loved, — absolutely loved — cotton harvest time. He would pull cotton trailers to the gin and just loved pulling the trailers,” Heron recalled. “My dad was a very strict person, all he thought about was the farm and there were no sports of any type, but I wouldn’t trade how I was raised for anything in the world. He taught me to respect my elders, respect others and respect the land.” Heron has four brothers, two who have remained in the agriculture/farming industry, one who is a warden and another who is in the construction business. While there were no sports for the most part growing up, it didn’t mean there was no fun. “I remember when it would rain, me and my brothers couldn’t wait to go outside in it,” Heron said. “We couldn’t wait to get outside and play in the mud – we were just kids.” They were kids but with chores, a word that doesn’t carry the weight of what it once meant. “My dad was strict and we all had chores,” Heron said. “One took care of the chickens, another took care of the farm but that’s just how it was. There was no complaining. We all helped.”

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Heron said he enjoys the pace of farming, and watching how each distinct seasons runs through its scenario, making way for the next season. “The season comes in so fast and in a couple of months you’re harvesting – it’s like raising children but the seasons are a lot quicker,” he said. “I love planning something out and being independent. I couldn’t work in an office.” Heron remembers his dad helping him with his first crop, it was cotton for the local FFA group. Later on he became president of an FFA Club later on and his favorite crop to plant remains cotton, even though he also does corn, soybeans, sesame and cabbage (as well as canola, of course).

They also have two other sons, Gabriel who is in the pharmaceutical business and the youngest Maximilian is in college at UT. He also has six grandchildren he loves to see come to the farm. He doesn’t know, however, if they have “farmer” in their blood just yet. “There are so many hardships on the farm these days,” he said. “My grandchildren love to come to the farm and look at the plants and ride the tractors so they are farm kids, in a way. It’s something you have to be born with for the most part.” Heron has advice for any young person interested in taking up farming. “Never give up and keep doing the best you can, even on a bad day or year,” he said. “Stay positive. It’s rough but there are a lot of pluses.”

Heron is married to whom he describes as a supportive wife named Julie, who has been making his John Deere-fabric shirts for the past 15 years (and he’s on number 35 now.) Heron and Julie will go together every Saturday to the fields and just look over all the land and crops. “She wasn’t a farmer – she was new to it,” he said. “But she’s always supportive, no matter what and she has never complained over the years about the hard times.” His son Joshua will work with him and help him on the farm. “He is savvy as far as technology and will help with setting up the spraying and other calculations.”

MARCH/APRIL 2019

COMBATING DISEASES AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES OF CROPS USING LATEST GENOMICS AND GENETICS TOOLS BY DR. KRANTHI MANDADDI

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athogens, insects and environmental stresses cause major losses in yield and quality of crops globally. At Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center-Weslaco, Dr. Kranthi Mandadi, assistant professor in plant pathology and microbiology, is using the latest genomics-, genetics- and biotechnology-based technologies to advance the fundamental and translational research related to diverse agricultural crop stresses. His research team is tackling diverse abiotic and biotic stress of crops using high-throughput sequencing and phenotyping technologies. For instance, it is estimated that 30-40% of yield losses caused by plant diseases are due to the effect of pathogens transmitted by insect pests. For example, the tomato/potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli is a vector of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum— a bacterial pathogen of Solanaceous plants and the causative agent of the potato zebra chip disease, tomato vein-greening, and pepper variegated disease. Zebra chip disease is responsible for annual crop losses of US $25 million to Texas potato industry alone. Similarly, citrus greening or Huanglongbing (HLB) disease caused by the Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus is the most devastating disease of citrus that is threatening the $13 billion U.S. citrus industry. HLB is transmitted by an insect vector, the Asian Citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) Through his research, Dr. Mandadi has identified novel sources of resistance against insect-vectored diseases such as zebra chip and

greening. His team is also studying the multi-component (host-vector-pathogen) interactions that occur during disease transmission, as well as interactions with the environment. The overall goal is to transfer the novel sources of resistance into commercial varieties in order to make them disease- and pest-resistant using biotechnology and breeding tools. Another major crop grown in U.S. and in Texas is sugarcane. It is an important source of sugar-based ethanol and lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks globally. However, diseases and environmental stresses such as cold, salinity and drought can result in yield-losses of US $300 million or more. Dr. Mandadi’s team is studying how sugarcane, and other grasses, fight diseases and environmental stresses. To speed the pace of finding solutions, they are conducting preliminary studies in a ‘model’ grasses called Brachypodium, which is evolutionarily closely related to the field grasses, but much smaller in stature, and grows much faster in the laboratory. The idea is to study and find solutions to the various problems related to field grasses in these ‘model’ grasses and subsequently transfer the knowledge to agronomically-relevant field grasses such as sugarcane, using biotechnology and breeding tools. For more information please visit Dr. Mandadi lab website: http://agrilife.org/mandadilab/

MARCH/APRIL 2019

Winning:

SMALL FOOD STARTUPS BY PAM GUERRA

oday’s consumer is hungry for the most natural food claim food you can eat! Big agricultural companies have taken notice of the food startups that continue to rise as this health food movement is here and here to stay. Consumers have become more con cerned with trust, transparency and personalization of a food brand, which is one of the reasons big food companies acquire these successful startups. Competition in the food industry comes in many forms but big companies don’t have the organic, natural, and authentic brand that keep these small startups being successful. One small company will not take away the customers of a massive company like Coca-Cola, however 500 might make a small impact. Big companies are watching the numbers and want to be part of the action. In 2017, Unilever alone accounted for many of the following mergers, acquiring specialty condiments

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maker Sir Kensington’s, organic herbal tea producer Pukka Herbs, natural and organic food business Mae Terra, the Tazo tea brand from Starbucks, and investing in meal kit startup Sun Basket. Since they cannot create the product itself, they buy it. Slowly, these small startups are climbing to the top of the top bringing these big companies to places they have not organically been before. A main advantage of small businesses being acquired by major brands is the processes and manufacturing that helps produce and obtain a larger market of today’s consumer. The win-win also happens to the big company as they now get to develop new products and bring them to market much faster than a smaller company can. Like , General Mills’ food incubator 301 Inc. invested in healthy snacking startup D’s Naturals and acquired a minority stake in Purely Elizabeth; Campbell Soup Co. acquired Pacific Foods; Cargill invested in lab-grown meat producer Memphis Meats; Conagra Brands acquired snack

makers Thanasi Foods LLC, Bigs LLC and Angie’s Artisan Treats LLC; Dean Foods invested in milk alternative producer Good Karma; Hershey Co. acquired Amplify Snack Brands; and Nestle acquired Chameleon Cold-Brew, meatless frozen food maker Sweet Earth, and stakes in Blue Bottle Coffee and healthy ready meals group Freshly. This trend is staying on its track to deliver full-year targets. It seems these startups will only become more attractive over time. The agility to stay in touch with today’s consumer, the millennials, is vital. Millennials and other target demographics, are looking for new products worthy of their trust. In 2016, Hormel Foods Corp. acquired Justin’s LLC, a producer of specialty nut butters; The Hershey Co. acquired Ripple Brand Collective LLC, the maker of the barkTHINS snacking chocolate brand; and Jack Link’s Protein Snacks acquired Grass Run Farms’ meat snacks division. In addition, Danone merged with WhiteWave Foods Co. to expand its organic offerings and “appeal to future consumer trends.” While the food system is complex and its problems multi-faceted, we know these startups support small-scale farmers with sustainable techniques. This success goes beyond sales as these efforts are creating a change in our food supply chains. Customers are holding investors accountable for where they

put their money. Food startups overall received $2.06 billion in the first half of 2015 from venture capitalist firms, which is almost as much as the total for all of 2014: $2.36 billion, according to AgFunder. With sustainable food companies investments continued to be expected to rise. As big food companies continue to lose market share to small competitors, investors and food executives alike will need to decide which specialty brands to get behind. In Texas, the most well-funded startup has been Rythem Superfoods (a raw, vegan, gluten-free, no cholesterol, and non-GMO) kale chips sold at Whole Food and HEB as well as other retailers. All of the nation startups have sprung up and are waiting for these big investors. Check out the United States of Food Startups to check out how the other states are growing their portfolio. The integration of these companies is something that the market has not seen before. The health movement aims for consumers to buy well brands with the information they need to hold companies’ accountable what ingredients go into their body and what happens in the supply chain. The trust these startups have of their clients is growing and making larger companies refocus on the market strategy. Has your favorite startup been acquired already?

MARCH/APRIL 2019

Does My Child Need a Booster Seat? Caution: Don’t Move Your Child to a Seat Belt Too Soon

nfortunately, seat belts do not come in one size-fits-all. In fact, the seat belt that is designed to save an adult’s life in a crash does not fit a young child. And, the poor fit of the seat belt can actually cause serious injur ies or even death during a crash. Many parents are under the impression that a child can be moved to the vehicle seat belt system when they have outgrown the weight limits of their child safety seat. Most conventional forward-facing child safety seats have a 5-point harness system that can be used until at least 40 pounds. However, most children weigh 40 pounds long before they are tall enough to fit in the vehicle lap/shoulder belt. Children do not fit well in the vehicle lap/shoulder belts that were designed for adults who are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Instead of fitting properly over the lower hips, the lap belt rides over the soft tissues of the abdomen and can cause severe injury or death. The shoulder portion of the belt hits the child’s neck or face instead of lying flat across the chest. This causes many children to place the shoulder belt behind their back, leaving them with no upper body protection. A booster seat ‘boosts’ the child up so the lap/shoulder belt will fit correctly and provide protection in a crash. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Community Health Educator, Joanne Ureste, Hidalgo County, reminds parents that correctly using a booster seat can protect a child from being thrown around the vehicle or being totally ejected in a crash. In a crash, children who are incorrectly restrained by a lap/shoulder belt are likely to sustain serious injuries to internal organs, as well as the head and spinal cord. In fact, these abdominal and spinal injuries are medically referred to as “Seat Belt Syndrome.” Motor vehicle crashes continue to be one of the leading causes of death and injury for children 14 and under. Car seats, including boosters, have been proven to be effective in preventing injuries and deaths and studies show that booster seats can reduce the risk of injury by 59 percent. But children in this age group are the least likely to be properly restrained. Surveys conducted during 2017 by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute found that only 26.4% of 5-9 year olds in Texas were correctly restrained. In Texas fatalities in the 5-9 year old age group are nearly twice as high as the national rate. The law in Texas requires children under 8 years old, unless taller than 4 feet 9 inches, to be in a child restraint system according to the manufacturer’s instructions. According to the law, an 8 year old can legally ride in the seat belt, but only a small percentage of 8 year olds are big enough to fit the seat belt correctly. While not every child who is

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4 feet 9 inches will fit the seat belt — due to some children being longer in the torso and some children having longer legs — the average child reaches 4 feet 9 inches at age 11! Best practice is to keep the child in a booster seat until the lap/shoulder belts fits, which is usually sometime between ages 8-12. The injury rate and high costs associated with medical care and lost productivity for families is huge. Booster seats are an affordable solution for protecting children in the 4 to 8-plus age group. The cost of booster seats is low; generally between $15 to $40 for a basic booster seat. Booster seats offer a low-cost solution to a high-cost problem.

When is your child ready for the seat belt? Take the Five Step Test Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat? Do the child’s knees bend comfortably? Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm? Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs? Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip? If you answered ‘no’ to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to make both the shoulder belt and the lap belt fit right for the best crash protection. Your child will be more comfortable, too! Source: SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. ( HYPERLINK “http://www.carseat.org” www.carseat.org) Call Joanne Ureste at (956) 383-1026 for a free child safety seat inspection, or visit http://buckleup.tamu.edu to find a certified child passenger safety technician in your area.

TEXAS SURVEY INDICATES STRONG PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR EMINENT DOMAIN REFORM Texas landowners enjoy widespread support on the question of eminent domain reform. A recent survey of general election voters indicates fairness, accountability and transparency are strongly favored by the public as the Texas Legislature considers eminent domain reform bills in Austin. The survey was commissioned by Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) and conducted by the Eppstein Group of Fort Worth. Five questions were asked of 1,200 general election voters. Support for eminent domain fairness exceeded 80 percent in every category among both rural and urban voter respondents. The government and hundreds of private entities may take land for the public good. There is, however, a broad consensus that this process is often unfair to property owners. “We all accept that eminent domain is necessary sometimes,” TFB President Russell Boening said. “We do not oppose that. However, Texas has left fairness and just compensation far behind in the process.”

of walking away from the table.” Ninety percent of Texas respondents support requiring private companies to give advance notice to landowners before eminent domain actions can proceed. Eighty-four percent support a standard landowner rights easement document before the taking can proceed. Eighty percent agree that landowners are at a financial disadvantage in an eminent domain proceeding. Support in all categories was almost the same among Democrats and Republicans. “It’s gratifying to know that Texans understand these concepts of basic fairness,” Boening said. “We do not oppose eminent domain, but the reforms now before the Legislature are reasonable solutions for a broken process.”

The full survey results can be viewed at www.texasfarmbureau.org/eminentdomain

Eminent domain reform legislation has been introduced in both the Texas Senate and Texas House. Rep. DeWayne Burns, R-Cleburne, authored HB 991. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, authored SB 421. The legislation calls for transparency in eminent domain proceedings, including consequences for offering less than fair market value and damages to private property. On the question of “lowball offers,” 89 percent of all respondents favor financial penalties for too low offers. Eighty percent favor “bad faith” financial penalties when offers are less than half of a property’s value.

Contact Gene L. Hall, APR Director, Communications 254.751.2246 (office) 254.733.6727 (cell) 254.732.1834 (home) E-Mail: ghall@txfb.org

“Eminent domain is not a normal business transaction,” Boening said. “The landowner does not have the option

MARCH/APRIL 2019

2018 FARM BILL PROMOTES SUSTAINABILITY OF AMERICA’S FARMS AND RANCHES BY ZIPPY DUVALL

I can’t think of anyone more invested in the sustainability of America’s farm and ranch land than the men and women who live on and work this very land each day. Using our land to grow crops and raise animals goes hand-in-hand with making wise use of our resources. Conservation is at the heart of running a successful, sustainable farm, and the farm bill has long recognized farmers’ heart for stewardship. Conservation was one of the foundational goals of the very first farm bill, in fact, with the creation of the Soil Bank to recover land hit hard in the Dust Bowl. As technology and farming techniques have changed over time, the farm bill has changed and adapted as well. The first conservation title was introduced, a little more than three decades ago, as lawmakers listened to farmers, ranchers and landowners and created a partnership to preserve the land, air and water we all depend on and enjoy. Together, they built on the principle that the land is best cared for by the people who know it best and call it home.

Thanks to conservation work by America’s farmers and ranchers, wildlife habitat is up across the country. The 2018 farm bill preserves the cornerstone of the conservation title: the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Thanks to conservation work by America’s farmers and ranchers, wildlife habitat is up across the country. Of course, Mother Nature continues to be a finicky business partner, as we’ve seen yet again from the hurricanes, wildfires and drought in recent years. Sustainability practices must protect farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to stay in business in good times and bad. The 2018 farm bill takes an important step in recognizing and addressing these challenges. Under CRP, farmers and ranchers will have greater flexibility for emergency use of their land in times of natural disaster. Another update to the CRP that will go a long way on that front is with improved rental rates. The 2018 farm bill reduces CRP rental rates to better match the market and hopefully increase access to farmers and ranchers. This and additional support for beginning farmers and veterans can help get more folks to join, and stay in, the business of agriculture and protect our ability to grow our nation’s food, fuel and fiber. The 2018 farm bill also expands other key conservation programs like the

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Zippy Duvall - President Vincent “Zippy” Duvall, a poultry, cattle and hay producer from Greene County, Georgia, is the 12th president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. You can follow him on Twitter @ZippyDuvall.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. Each of these programs gives farmers and ranchers critical tools to protect their businesses and land. More conservation practices will now be covered under CSP, and new incentive contracts for practices like grazing and cover crops and using precision agriculture technology and improved crop rotation will now be included under EQIP. For every farmer and rancher, there’s a great joy and strong sense of responsibility in knowing you are a caretaker of the land that generations before you have worked and enjoyed. One of the best pieces of advice I received as a young farmer was: “If you take care of your land and animals, they will take care of you.” Thanks to the 2018 farm bill, America’s farmers and ranchers can keep up our good work as caretakers and pass on a rich agricultural heritage to the next generation. For a deeper dive on farmers’ and ranchers’ conservation work, visit AFBF’s Market Intel page to check out Chief Economist John Newton’s analysis of changes in the 2018 farm bill and Economist Veronica Nigh’s detailed look at wetlands conservation.

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EMINENT DOMAIN:

What Every Landowner Should Know BY RICHARD FRYER

he Rio Grande Valley is at the center of the national debate over the controversial Border Wall, where thousands of acres of farms and ranches along the Rio Grande could be bisected or entirely cut off. The medias’ coverage of these or similar stories has done a good job of highlighting landowners’ frustrations but hasn’t really covered the actual condemnation process. In this article, I’m not going to debate the merits of the Border Wall but, instead, will attempt to walk through the condemnation process and identify some areas of concern for landowners. I will also highlight some of proposed legislative changes to the condemnation process that are being debated during the current Texas legislative session. The terms eminent domain and condemnation are often used interchangeably but they aren’t the same. Instead, they are complementary of the other. Eminent domain is the right of the State, or those to whom the power is delegated, to take private property for public use, without consent, and to appropriate the ownership and possession of the property after paying the owner due compensation. This right is superior to the rights of the property owner and the source of this right lies in the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution and in Article I, Section 17, of the Texas Constitution. Condemnation is the process, created entirely by statute, by which a condemning entity exercises its right of eminent domain. Much of the condemnation process is devoted to deter-

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mining due compensation. Due compensation is comprised of the value of the property being condemned, the unique injury to the property owner, and the damage to the property owner’s remaining property. Opinions on these damage elements can vary greatly. Therefore, it behooves a landowner to gather and present credible and compelling evidence to justify this damage to maximize the compensation received as the result of the condemnation. The condemnation process typically begins with a letter or phone call from an agent of the condemning entity requesting access to survey your property and initiating negotiations to purchase your property. In these initial conversations, it is important to gather as much information from the agent as possible to understand the scope of the condemnation or taking. It is also wise to request that the condemning entity agree to a right of entry on to your property. In this right of entry, at a minimum you should require (1) advance notice of

when the surveyors will access your property; (2) an expiration date for the right of entry; and (3) any other requirements that suit the unique circumstances and uses of your property.

During this initial phase, the agent has been given limited authority to negotiate and will often make low-ball offers for your property. Surprisingly, many landowners accept these low offers in the early stages of the process, but they don’t have to. At some point during these initial negotiations and before the bona fine or final offer, the condemning entity will provide

you with the Landowner’s Bill of Rights prepared by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. This is a requirement before the actual condemnation process can begin. The bona fide offer or final offer must be made at least 30 days from the date of the initial written offer and must include a copy of the certified appraisal obtained by the condemning entity and the deed or easement for the property that is being acquired. The bona fide offer must be equal to or greater than the certified appraisal. The condemning entity must also give you at least 14 days to consider the offer before the condemnation lawsuit can be filed. Once the condemnation lawsuit is filed, the judge will appoint three disinterested real property owners who reside in the county to serve as special commissioners. The special commissioners will conduct an informal hearing. That means the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure do not apply. The special

the condemnation process and protect the landowner’s rights. Unfortunately, as the landowner, you are responsible for shouldering your own professional fees during this process. Efforts are underway in the current legislative session to try to level the playing field between the landowner and the condemning entity by increasing the fairness and transparency of the process. One such attempt is to add a statutory requirement that the condemning entity must pay the landowners’ professional fees if the special commissioners’ or the judge’s award exceeds the condemning entity’s bona fide offer. Other attempts are focused on adding minimum required general language in easements that protects landowners’ interests during the process. When faced with a looming condemnation, don’t ignore it and hope it goes away, because it usually won’t. It is important to do your research about the proposed project and ask the right

commissioners can only legally determine the market value of the property and assess any damages to and special benefits of the property based on the appraisal reports and testimony from the hearing. Once the special commissioners have filed their determination of the monetary damages award with the court and the award is deposited with the court clerk, the condemning entity can take possession of the condemned property pending the results of any appeal of the special commissioners’ award. If either party is not satisfied with the special commissioners’ award, then the dissatisfied party must timely file formal writ-ten objections with the court. The condemnation proceedings will then become a matter for a trial. If objections are not timely filed, the special commissioners’ award becomes final and is not appealable.Although the process affords a certain degree of due process to the landowner, the landowner is often the underdog when dealing with a sophisticated condemning entity and will usually have to hire an attorney and/or an appraiser to assist in navigating

questions up front. It is also wise to hire the necessary professionals in the early phases of the process to help preserve your rights and give you the tools you need to effectively navigate through the condemnation process.

MARCH/APRIL 2019

PATHOGENS ARE SCARY,

BUT FOOD SAFETY SHOULDN’T BE BY DANTE GALEAZZI

I remember, around 10 or so years ago, when I was first introduced to the idea that simply rinsing my fresh produce with warm water was not enough to effectively clean it. I was taken aback by the idea that a cleaning agent was needed, like vinegar, to truly sanitize fruits or vegetables before eating them. I remember thinking at the time “I’ve been eating fruits and vegetables forever and I have never gotten sick. I don’t need to change.” It was not until shortly before my son was born several years ago that I started taking sanitation of my fresh produce much more seriously. For those who have been through or been with someone during a pregnancy, you may have an idea of the wide range of Do’s and Don’ts that come along with it. More specifically, you may also know that a pregnant mother can have a more susceptible immune system and when they get sick there are fewer medicinal remedies available out of necessity for protecting the unborn child. That means that your home, more so with the first child, becomes a sanctuary of sanitation. Everything is cleaned twice a day, any flat surface in the house is bleached before and after every meal, every meat-item is cooked beyond extra well done, and you quickly discover that things you may have previously considered “okay” to use in the kitchen were now be considered harbingers of bacteria and an enemy of the state. Okay, I may be slightly exaggerating… but for certain readers in the audience, you know I mean “slightly.” Taking part in this new level of “clean” opened my eyes that the risks I took in my life were no longer just mine, they were going to be for my family. Driving safer, purchasing life insurance, making sure the home alarm worked all year long. Many aspects and things I previously considered trivial had all taken a different meaning. Not to say I was a reckless person prior to having a child in my life, but my considerations for some very basic things were changed now, and it had changed across a wide spectrum. This included reconsidering the way I approached what I was eating, as well as prepping and cleaning certain foods. For example, did you know that rinsing with water alone only removes the dirt from your vegetables? What about all the hands that touched the produce when it was sitting on the store shelf? A simple soak in the sink with water and a little vinegar goes a long way in killing a lot of the surface pathogens on fresh produce. Even easier than soaking with water and vinegar, companies now sell spray-on sanitizers. Just hit the veggies a few times with

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the spray before you store them in the fridge and viola. The good news is only a small section of certain fresh produce items need such treatments so do not panic if you have not been sanitizing everything. The practice of adjusting a routine as knowledge is gained is not uncommon in the treatment of uncooked poultry. I know plenty of BBQ aficionados who use plastic gloves when handling raw chicken. Clearly they received the message about the hazards of cross-contamination and food safety as it relates to meat and made changes to account for safer handling methods. The way we look at and consider our fresh fruits and vegetables should be no different. Likewise, the way food safety is approached at the farm is no different in the sense that we understand there are risks. Let me preface the next portion of this article by saying I am not advocating that every single produce item should be sprayed in the field with a sanitizer. The steps by which produce moves from seed-to-shelf render such a practice as impractical for many, if not all, produce items. Instead my intent is to emphasize the importance of an overall approach to a food safety program. The risks inherent in fresh produce are no different than when our parents or grandparents grew and ate fruits and vegetables. The changes have occurred not with the food supply but in the science, and the knowledge we all possess.

Previous generations did not fully understand pathogens or how microbial organisms moved between surfaces, let alone from water to the pores of leaves. If we stand back for a moment and consider the multitude of possibilities by which pathogen-transfer is achieved, it can be very scary. We know now more about the risks of microorganisms because the science around them has provided that understanding. Just as we now understand the risks inherent in not properly cleaning surfaces or food items during a pregnancy or for new born babies. It is also the knowledge of understanding that risk, and addressing it, that has improved the hygienic practices now employed daily or the methodologies applied to reduce exposure to harmful bacteria or contaminants. We need not fear the pathogens present at home during a pregnancy, so long as precautions are taken. It is this same type of understanding that can used to implement food safety practices at the farm. The fresh produce industry must also enact practices that acknowledge the science of microorganisms and take into account potential hazards. Like handling chicken destined for the grill with plastic gloves, we too can respect the possibly of pathogens potentially transferring from surface to surface â&#x20AC;&#x201C; known as cross-contamination. More importantly, we can take steps to prevent exposure for high risk areas or items. The good news is that resources are available and they are everywhere. From online and free, to paid and in-person. There are companies, state agencies and federal agents offering every imaginable resource with regards to food safety. For the phone and tablet, mobile apps can track visits to the farm or how often equipment is washed. On the internet, manuals and printable walk-throughs to help train personnel in the field about hygiene or how to identify potential risks are easily accessible. There are also education courses and seminars offered constantly, in-person or online, many of which are being offered for

free or at very affordable rates. For example, Texas A&M AgriLife will be hosting a Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Course for $40 in late March at the AgriLife center in Weslaco. If an operation needs targeted help, Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is conducting free On-Farm Compliance visits. TDA will have a local representative visit the operation and do a free walk-through with you or your representative, pointing out areas of opportunity and the potential fixes. They do not grade or judge during this visit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so long as there are no blatantly hazardous or dangerous happenings at the operation. What better opportunity to see how well your operation is doing before you actually have to be audited? The point is knowledge and understanding. Our society knows the risks of pathogens. We know that certain populations like children and expecting mothers are more susceptible to these hazards. Our society also understands that there are steps that can be taken to mitigate and minimize certain risks. Cleaning certain vegetables with water and vinegar for example removes a wide range of surface contaminates, and is far more effective than rinsing with warm water alone. Our industry, like society, needs not fear the pathogens or risks but instead take the necessary steps to reduce those hazards through sound food safety practices. The body of knowledge is out there, fresh produce companies and growers need only look for it. Reaching out to TDA, FDA, TIPA or others knowledgeable on the topic of food safety can help with the process of preparation or compliance. Sometimes the process might be as scary as those pathogens you are trying to prevent, but the good news is the hard word of discovery is done and now it is about implementation of good practices. After all, we are all looking to provide safe, healthy food supply for our families and our consumers. The science is there, we have only to apply it.

MARCH/APRIL 2019

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A Letter from the Editor Proverbs 3:6

in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Be slow to anger and rich in love. How many times have we heard this saying? My educated guess tells me we have heard it a lot. How about, the golden rule – treat others as you want to be treated. In today’s world there is a lot of hate, a lot of worry, and a lot of mistreating. We all have our own opinions and expectations. When others’ opinions are different from ours and the expectations we have set for others are not met, it is very easy to get angry and lash out. Anger is real, and anger is dangerous. Anger can destroy friendships, marriages, destroy jobs, families, and even ourselves. Our emotions are very real. One thing I have learned throughout my life – and am still learning – is how to control my emotions and to not let them control me. No matter the situation, I should not allow my emotions to overpower my intelligence. I know right from wrong, but sometimes that fine line between right and wrong gets fuzzy because of my emotions. Have you ever had an altercation with someone? Today you may look back and think to yourself “I shouldn’t have said that,” or “I shouldn’t have done that.” You did, though, and there is no taking it back. It is so easy to allow our emotions to take control. It’s okay to have emotions and to feel, but once emotions are in control, pulling the reins back in can be nearly impossible. Look in the Bible back to Cain and Able, or to Jacob and his brothers, we can see where anger took complete control of individuals, and the outcomes were less than desirable. Anger does not solve anything, it builds nothing, but it can destroy everything. God wants us to lift one another, not tear each other down. It may be easier to get angry, throw stones and be done with it. It doesn’t make it right. Think about it, once your words are said, they can be forgiven but a lot of the time they are not forgotten. How many of us have been told something that didn’t settle right and we enter into fight or flight mode? Most of the time we jump to conclusions and say hurtful things before we know the whole story. The tongue is the sharpest and most powerful weapon we have. When we hold on to anger it’s like drinking poison. It can affect our way of living, and change our positive outlooks to negative. Where there is anger there is pain. It is important for us as individuals to look at our sources of anger and remove them. If it happens to be a toxic friendship, a job, a hobby ... whatever it may be, find the source and let go. If a person is angry, kill them with kindness. Sometimes, a person who is so hurt is just lashing out and looking for someone to grab on to for help. So instead lashing back in anger, try lashing back in love. God did not give us a life to live to be angry all the time. As in my opening letter at the beginning of the magazine, I was unhappy and angry at my last job. I was angry at the people who had hurt me, and their words were sharp enough to cut me deep. It took me a long time to let go of the anger. When I did, I was a new person. When my mother died, I was angry too, but I learned again to let go and to replace my anger and pain with happiness and joy. Did it happen over night? No. It was a process, but I am glad I learned that if I controlled it I was going to be happy. You may be in a horrible situation right now that is causing you anger and pain, but remember you can overcome it with Jesus. The pain and anger will last forever if you choose it to. Do not choose your happiness based on others, but instead on ourselves. We cannot control the way a person thinks, or acts. We are in charge only of ourselves and our own actions. Be the person that is slow to anger and rich in love. God loves you and God forgives, therefore we should love others and forgive them as well. God Bless, Michelle Martin M A R C H / A P R I LY 2 0 1 9

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MARCH/APRIL 2019

The USDANatural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

in Texas has announced the first funding application deadline of March 15, 2019 for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). A second funding application deadline is scheduled for May 10, 2019. Applications are taken year around for NRCS programs, but deadlines are announced to rank and fund eligible conservation projects. Producers interested in signing up for EQIP should submit applications to their local USDA service center or if already a USDA client, on-line viaConservation Client Gateway (CCG). EQIP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers. Technical assistance is provided without a fee from NRCS specialists to help landowners and land managers plan and implement conservation practices to help them meet their land management goals, address natural resource concerns and improve soil, water, plant, animal, air, and related resources on agricultural land and non-industrial private forestland. Producers interested in EQIP and/or a conservation plan can contact their local USDA service center or visit the Texas NRCS website at

www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov.

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MARCH/APRIL 2019

FFA&4-H C 2 019

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D I S T R I C T

March 7-17, 2019

Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show March 28, 2019

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April 16, 2019

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April 25, 2019

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AC T I V I T I E S Sponsored by:

March 17, 2019

April 15, 2019

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St. Patrick’s Day Palm Valley AST Meeting Red Gate

April 1, 2019

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RMB Fair Grounds April 19, 2019

Good Friday

April 21, 2019

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MARCH/APRIL 2019

Clover:

THE FOUR-LEAFED BENEFITS: BY KATHRYN BRADY

Why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you iron 4-leaf clovers? Because you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to press your luck. What do you get when you cross poison ivy with a four-leaf clover? A rash of good luck.

lover or Trefoil are the common names for plants in the genus Trifolium. Trifolium is Latin; tri means three and folium means leaf. There are over three-hundred species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family known as Fabaceae.

Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption or for livestock forage and silage and as a soil-enhancing green manure or fertilizer. Examples include alfalfa, clover, peas, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, peanuts, mesquite and bluebonnets. The legume fruit is a simple dry fruit or bean that develops from a simple carpel (what the pistils of a flower are) and usually open along a seam on two sides. The common name for this fruit is a pod. The fruits contain one or two seeds. Clovers are very diverse and prolific on the temperate northern hemisphere. They are small short-lived herbaceous plants and

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can be either annual, biennial or short-lived perennials. Clovers can be evergreens. Four-leafed clovers known as quatrefoile are rare. Clovers have flowers that are small and fragrant and appear as crowded, dense and spherical heads or spikes that can be red, purple white or yellow. Clover is valuable to agriculture for many reasons; one of which being that as a legume it fixes nitrogen through symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria structures called root nodules. These bacteria are known as rhizobia and take up large amounts of nitrogen from the air. Nitrogen fixation supports the growth of other forages by allowing the reduction or elimination for nitrogen fertilizer in fields that have good clover stands. This nitrogen is added to the soil where the other plants grow in quantities of about fifty to one-hundred fifty pounds per acre of Nitrogen. Legume seed must be properly inoculated with Rhizobia bacteria for adequate nitrogen fixation to occur.

Clovers are pollinated by bumblebees and honeybees. And the flowers and seeds can provide food for wildlife. This is one of the reasons that clovers are used in food plots for wildlife. The plant is extremely nutritious; providing up to twenty-five percent protein in each pound or two. This is the amount and type of protein that White-tailed Deer need and desire. Turkey utilize the clover because many insects survive in the leaves. Clover is also highly palatable to livestock and is high in protein, phosphorus and calcium and provides valuable nourishment to livestock. It can be used as an animal feed in the form of hay, pastures or silage. Types of cover crops and food plot plantings include:

Winter Rye, Oats, Soybeans, Buckwheat, Brassicas, White Clover, Alfalfa, Crown Vetch, Red Clover, Sweet Clover, Crimson Clover, Field Peas, Hairy Vetch, Subterranean Clover and Berseem Clover.

Rhizobia bacteria fix Nitrogen within nodule on roots of a clover plant. Source: University of Arkansas

All these species may not work on your place. Things to consider include: soil type, climate, the purpose of the cover crop or the wildlife species that will be utilizing the food plot. Clover tolerates shade, repeated mowing or grazing and browsing and foot traffic well. Cover crops provide multiple potential benefits to soil health while helping to maintain cleaner surface and groundwater. They can also help to prevent erosion, improve soil physical and biological properties, supply nutrients, suppress weeds, improve soil water availability and break pest cycles in crops.

Source: Frontage Cover Blends Perennial Seeds

They can also help break into compacted soil layers.

Source: Biodynamic Agriculture Clover on St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day: The Shamrock is the traditional Irish symbol. According to legend, it was coined by Saint Patrick during his Christianization of the Celts in the 5th Century. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s said to have represented the Holy Trinity and the Shamrock is commonly associated with clover.

MARCH/APRIL 2019

TOUGH ENOUGH REPRINT FROM TEXAS FARM CREDIT

For two brothers who chose to return to the family farm after college, farming in South Texas means always saving for a rainy day — or a drought. Brothers Hunter and Bryce Wilde think their parents picked the perfect name for the family farming operation. Anaqua Farms, near Lyford, some 40 miles northwest of Brownsville, Texas, is named for the hardy anaqua tree, which thrives in the subtropical climate and alkaline soils of South Texas, producing edible berriesand helping to support wildlife. “Each tree is made of multiple trees that intertwine and come together to form one strong tree,” says Hunter, 30. “It’s a very productive tree and hard to kill.” Like the tree, the brothers, who partner with their parents, Glenn and Julie Wilde, have to be tough to farm their several thousand acres of grain sorghum, cotton and sugarcane. 2018 was not good to Anaqua Farms. Months of relentless drought cut their normal sorghum production by more than half, and cotton was “almost nonexistent,” Hunter says. But this was not the Wilde family’s first rough year. “Our grandfather farmed near here, and when it was time for my dad to go off on his own as a young man, he started with 500 acres of leased land,” Hunter says. “But within two years, he lost it all when landowners decided to lease to other growers.” The experience, the brothers are convinced, forged their father’s will to succeed, a philosophy and influence handed down to them. “We own only about 10 percent of the land we farm, so we make it a priority to form relationships with our landowners, and keep them informed about what we’re doing and how we’re being good stewards of the land,” says Hunter.

Frugality Is Key Key to surviving crop disasters, the brothers explain, is always a matter of preparation and frugality. “We save up in good years because we know bad years are coming,” says Bryce, 28. “Here in the Rio Grande Valley, it’s a guarantee you’re gonna have a bad year, so tightening the purse strings, having crop insurance and making wise, low-risk management decisions all help us survive. And we find other things to make money.” Their income from irrigated sugarcane has always helped in times of drought, and this year the Wildes also are planting sesame as an alternative, substitute crop. “Our only way to make money is to grow a crop and cash it in,” Hunter says. That’s the way it’s been for the brothers’ entire lives. “We were born and raised here, in that house, and we’ve done nothing but farm,” says Hunter. “No spring breaks; that was planting time. And no summers off; that’s harvest time.” Eventually, though, the brothers left Lyford to earn degrees in ag systems management at Texas A&M University in College Station. Hunter returned to Anaqua Farms in 2011; Bryce in 2014. “We never considered not coming back after college,” Hunter says. “But before we did, our parents strongly suggested that we carefully evaluate our options. They wanted us to make sure we were returning because that’s what we really wanted to do, and not out of some sense of obligation.” Watching Hunter and Bryce work, it’s obvious they love what they do. On this day they are using a computer system to load the last of this year’s grain sorghum into hefty 18-wheelers bound for nearby Mexico, where it will be used as chicken feed. “Each truck holds 55,000 pounds of milo, and each silo holds 120 truckloads,” Bryce explains. Anaqua Farms has three towering silver silos, visible for miles. This year, only two were filled due to drought.

Farm Credit Understands The brothers believe that one of the family’s most important cost-saving decisions in recent years was to purchase their own used cotton harvest-

er so they would not have to hire custom harvesting crews. “It was Texas Farm Credit that helped us crunch the numbers on that. They helped us decide whether making such a huge purchase was wise,” Hunter says. “It’s nice to work with a bank that not only knows agriculture, but that knows our operation. It’s nice to have a company that specializes in and understands agriculture, as opposed to a standard lending service that only wants to see cash flows and low risk.” His brother is quick to commend their loan officer. “Our Farm Credit banker, Billy Best, has been with our family for years,” Bryce says. “He’s great to work with. He and his staff know us. They really understand our complicated setup — we are actually four companies under one roof.” In 2014, Hunter participated in the Farm Credit Young Leaders Program in New York City and Washington, D.C., which showed young borrowers how the Farm Credit System is structured and how its loans are funded. “That’s an area I wasn’t too familiar with. I didn’t realize it was an entire system set up for agriculture and managed by a board of farmers and ranchers just like us,” he says. While it’s often the younger generation that brings new ideas to an operation, the Wilde brothers agree that their father has always been an innovator. “As we get older, we realize just how amazing our parents were in making this farm successful by themselves,” Bryce says. “Hiring good labor has been, and still is, a problem, so how they were able to juggle so much almost by themselves is amazing.” Both Hunter and Bryce marvel at their moth er’s business acu men, as well as her innovative ideas. “Mom was among the very first in our area to start using computers in the management of agricultural operations,” Bryce said. “She was a trailblazer in that regard, and over the years has kept up with the latest in computer technoogies that continue to help us run our businesses.”

Trying Sustainable Practices Anaqua Farms is in the process of incorporating new practices, including strip-till and no-till farming methods and the use of cover crops to help retain soil moisture and nourish the soil. “We can’t go on like this,” Hunter says. “For example, we buy truckloads of expensive chemicals every year to produce our crops. That’s just not sustainable. Besides the threat to the environment, it’s a part of the frustration of being in a business where we buy inputs at retail prices and sell what we produce at wholesale.” The brothers say that when it comes time for their children to take over the farm, they too will allow them to make their own decisions. Hunter and his wife, Courtney, live near the farm and have two children,Granger, 7, and Bristol, 5. Bryce and his wife, Kaitlyn, have a 3-month-old son, Coleman, and live in nearby Harlingen. “We’re looking forward to the next 40 years,” he says. “But we’ve got to change. If we want to be sustainable, and if our kids want to be here and continue farming, we’ve got to be profitable now.” For these young South Texas farmers, the job is much more than daily chores. It’s about seeking and mastering both old and new technologies to help them endure their challenging, desert-like environment in good times and bad, just like an anaqua tree.

Electronic Monitoring of Potato Psyllid Feeding Behavior: Towards Uncovering Plant Resistance KYLE G. KOCH, Postdoctoral Research Associate ISMAEL E. BADILLO-VARGAS, Assistant Professor of Insect Vector Biology Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Weslaco , TX

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ver the last two decades, potato producers and processors in Texas have been bur dened by a tiny insect, known as the potato psyllid (Batericera cockerelli). Today, the potato psyllid is a significant pest of potatoes throughout Central and North America, as well as New Zealand. Although this tiny insect is only about 2 mm (0.08 inch) long, it can be quite destructive to potato production. Potato psyllids feed on plant sap from potatoes and other solanaceous plants (e.g., tomato, pepper, eggplant, and tomatillo) through their syringe-like mouthparts, during which they introduce copious amounts of saliva into the plant. Little is known about potato psyllid saliva and how it interacts with the host plant to date, however, it likely serves to help regulate the physiology of the host plant to create a more suitable feeding environment for the insect (i.e., prevent or circumvent the plant’s defenses). Accordingly, feeding by a significant number of potato psyllids can be detrimental to the potato plant’s vigor, resulting in a stunted and chlorotic (i.e., yellowing) condition known as psyllid yellows.

areas. Research using an experimental approach called the Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG) technique has endeavored to explore the interactions between the potato psyllid and its host plants during feeding, including how Lso affects its vector’s feeding behavior. The EPG technique works by incorporating the plant and potato psyllid into a simple circuit. Then, as the insect inserts its syringe-like mouthparts into the plant, the circuit is completed and any changes in resistance within the circuit are recorded digitally. Those changes in resistance correlate to specific potato psyllid’s feeding behaviors (e.g., salivation, ingestion, etc.) as well as location of mouthparts in particular plant tissues (e.g., vascular tissue). Interestingly, research conducted by our group in Weslaco using this technique has indicated that potato psyllids harboring one type of Lso (Lso-B) display altered feeding behaviors and salivate more into the vascular tissue (specifically into the phloem) of the plant compared to their non-infected counterparts or those infected with the other Lso type (Lso-A). Crucially, inoculation of Lso is only associated with salivation into the phloem, since it is the only plant tissue in which the pathogen can survive and replicate. Consequently, this could represent an attempt by the pathogen to improve its own transmission by manipulating its potato psyllid vector to salivate more into the phloem. Additionally, the EPG technique can be used for the purpose of identifying and studying plant resistance to insect pests, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Our research program is currently

Critically, potato psyllids may also transmit a bacterial pathogen, ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ (Lso), to the host plant. Lso is the causative agent of zebra chip (ZC) disease of potatoes and is delivered to the plant via the potato psyllid’s saliva during feeding. ZC disease severely affects both fresh and processing potatoes, causing stunting, leaf curling, yellowing, leaf scorching and aerial tubers in infected plants. Additionally, ZC causes browning, necrotic flecking, and darkening of the potato tuber, resulting in reduced tuber quality. Although ZC-infected potato tubers do not pose any health risk to humans, the disease results in an uneven conversion of starch to sugar, leaving infected tubers with an unpleasant taste when fried for chips or French fries, and consequently unmarketable. As a result, ZC infection can result in the abandonment of entire potato fields and causes the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars to the potato industry in Texas alone. Currently, no resistant potato cultivars have been identified to either the potato psyllid or ZC, leaving insecticides as the only option to manage this pest and disease. However, because the potato psyllid is able to transmit Lso to the plant relatively quickly (i.e., only a few hours), conventional insecticides may not kill the potato psyllid before it is able to inoculate new plants, presenting a serious challenge to preventing the spread of ZC disease in potato production

focused on evaluating the feeding behavior of potato psyllids on various wild tomato and potato lines with putative resistance to the insect pest. Using this technique, we can evaluate how resistant lines are changing the potato psyllid’s feeding behavior, which could also have implications for the transmission of Lso. For example, any resistant lines which disrupt the potato psyllid’s access to the phloem could also provide a promising source for controlling the spread of ZC disease, since salivation into the phloem is required for Lso transmission. Furthermore, combining that information with molecular tools to identify the genetic basis for the plant resistance could provide the foundation for the development of commercial potato or tomato lines immune to the damage caused by this pest/ pathogen complex.

MARCH/APRIL 2019

REPRINT FROM THE VALLEY’S MONITOR NEWSPAPER

PHARR — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller on Monday was sworn in for a second term at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, the same site he visited and praised a few months ago.

“It was an easy choice,” Miller told Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez before the ceremony. “Got to spread the love.” Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman conducted the oath of office for the first swearing in ceremony ever conducted outside Austin, according to Pharr’s Gary Rodriguez.

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“I’m a little bit of a rebel, a little different,” Miller said with a laugh about the occasion.

unities get appropriate agriculture grants to fighting childhood obesity to marketing agriculture around the world, he is a busy, busy man.”

Hernandez formally welcomed Miller to applause from the more than 100 people in attendance on Monday. Miller had recently spoke at this exact spot in October as he helped ring in the 2018-19 produce season. Also on hand Monday was Tamaulipas Gov. Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca, as well as other top Tamaulipas officials.

Miller is Texas’s 12th agriculture commissioner and a 10-time world rodeo champion.

“Congratulations, my friend,” Francisco Javier Garcia Cabeza de Vaca told Miller prior to the event, the two embracing thereafter. Miller and Cabeza de Vaca have struck up an admittedly unusual friendship, which they have discussed on numerous occasions. The ag commissioner calls himself a cowboy and Cabeza de Vaca has spent much of his life on the border, having gone to high school in McAllen before entering a political career in Mexico. Guzman, when introducing Miller, discussed one of Miller’s most recognizable qualities: his affinity for wearing cowboy hats. “But in fact, he wears many hats,” Guzman said. “From ensuring that our rural comm-

MARCH/APRIL 2019

CHRIS SPARKS

Briggs-Coleman Seed Co. Harlingen, Texas (956) 463â&#x20AC;&#x201C;6177

los fresnos LIVESTOCK SHOW

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