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Summer Ag Institute brings agriculture to Texas educators – Texas Farm Bureau

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Summer Ag Institute brings agriculture to Texas educators – Texas Farm Bureau


By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Teachers across the Lone Star State learned more about agriculture and how they can incorporate agriculture into their classroom at this year’s Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Summer Ag Institute (SAI)in Waco.

During the four-day professional development event, educators toured farms, ranches and agribusinesses in Central Texas. They heard from industry professionals, educational experts and participated in hands-on activities to replicate in their classrooms.

“Summer Ag Institute is an interactive, hands-on learning experience for educators to become familiar with agriculture and incorporating agriculture into the classroom,” said Jordan Bartels, TFB associate director of Organization Division, Education Outreach. “Educators toured farms and ranches to help them understand agriculture and discuss ways they can apply it to lessons and activities in their classrooms.”

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Farm, ranch tours
Teachers toured TrueHarvest Farms in Belton, a hydroponic lettuce and leafy greens grower. The group toured the facility and followed the process from seedling to harvest. Educators learned about hydroponic food production systems and how the lettuce is grown, harvested, packaged and shipped through an automated process.

Ryan Trowbridge, an educator from Mansfield ISD, led a demonstration on how teachers can build their own hydroponic system in their classrooms with their students.

Educators visited Walker Honey Farm and learned about the honey extraction process. The visit left teachers buzzing with excitement about beekeeping and large-scale honey production.

At the AgriLife Extension Research Center in McGregor, teachers learned about beef cattle production and saw the cutting edge technology being used to monitor cattle. Dr. Ryon Walker discussed current studies being conducted at the research center and taught teachers how to formulate a feed ration.

Hands-on workshops, activities
During the Summer Ag Institute, various industry experts and fellow teachers facilitated hands-on activities and lessons the educators can mimic in their classrooms.

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Michaelle Coker, a high school science teacher at Central Heights ISD, gave a group a lesson over DNA extraction where participants evaluated genotypes and phenotypes of cattle.

Seventh grade science teacher Lindsey Alleman plans to incorporate the lesson in her class next year. Alleman teaches at McCullogh Junior High, which is north of Houston, and is excited to share these new resources with her students to expose them to agriculture.

“Michaelle gave us advice on how to do the activity if we don’t have the same tools she does or who to contact to get the materials for our classroom,” Alleman said. “I’ve done a similar activity in my classroom, but now I can introduce it with breeds of cattle and bring in agriculture.”

In a session with Texas Tech Quail, teachers learned about a bobwhite’s life from egg to adulthood. The group saw the research being conducted using micro radio transmitters to study chick movement and habitat use data.

Teachers also heard from the National Ranching Heritage Center about resources available to use alongside Hank the Cowdog books.

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Other sessions included information from a dairy farmer, forester and a visit with a local veterinarian about antibiotics and animal welfare, as well as learning how to use the resources available through TFB.

“Texas Farm Bureau gave us a lot of valuable tools and a lot of valuable activities and resources to help us bring agriculture in where we’re at and meet our students where they’re at,” Jordan Gates, a second-grade teacher at McGregor ISD, said.

Summer Ag Institute brings agriculture to Texas educators Teachers across Texas gathered for TFB’s Summer Ag Institute, visiting farms and ranches in Central Texas and bringing home free resources to implement agriculture in their classrooms.

Teacher experiences
Educators from urban and rural areas alike enjoyed the immersive experience.

Gates found the lessons and activities beneficial and the program exceeded his expectations.

“Summer Ag Institute has really gone above and beyond my expectations. I came in with an open mind, and we’ve seen so many cool things,” Gates said. “The presenters want you to succeed, and they’re willing to spend their time to help you and give you wisdom and lot of good resources to be successful.”

Gates looks forward to the next school year and implementing gardening in his classroom.

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“One of the most valuable things I learned from the workshop was how to incorporate gardening in the classroom, whether that be hydroponics or traditional gardening,” Gates said. “That’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time and didn’t feel like I had the tools or resources available to do that.”

Agriculture starts on farms and ranches, but it happens in the classroom, too.

“I am a novice when it comes to agriculture. I didn’t realize how diverse agriculture is and how it impacts our daily lives,” Alleman said. “Teaching seventh grade, they’re in that transition stage of figuring out what they want to do when they go into high school. I think that all starts with a teacher and introducing them to different fields of study.”

Alleman is encouraged to learn more and bring those experiences to her students.

“I’m continually trying to grow and being able to expose myself to these different professions, different types of lessons that help me bring that education to my students can be inspiring to them to look at different avenues for their life and seeing how agriculture relates to everything,” Alleman said.

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About the event
The event took place June 10-13 in Waco.

The Lubbock SAI will be held July 16-19 at the FiberMax Center for Discovery.

For more information on TFB’s Ag in the Classroom efforts, visit texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.

Summer Ag Institute brings agriculture to Texas educators Teachers across Texas gathered for TFB’s Summer Ag Institute, visiting farms and ranches in Central Texas and bringing home free resources to implement agriculture in their classrooms.





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Texas A&M Forward Transfer Seemingly on Visit to See Lady Vols Basketball | Rocky Top Insider

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Texas A&M Forward Transfer Seemingly on Visit to See Lady Vols Basketball | Rocky Top Insider


fatmata janneh lady vols basketball
Photo via Texas A&M Athletics

Lady Vols basketball is looking to add more pieces to its 2026-27 roster with high-level experience. After completing her junior season at Texas A&M, Fatmata Janneh has emerged as a Tennessee target for her final year of eligibility. According to her Instagram story on Sunday night, she is in Knoxville.

With the Aggies a year ago, the 6-foot-2 forward averaged 11.4 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field. She also showed off an ability to hit from range, posting 1.1 makes per game on 33% shooting from three.

Perhaps Janneh’s biggest strength is her rebounding, though. She ripped down 9.7 boards per contest, good for the fifth-most in the SEC. This featured 2.6 rebounds on the offensive end per outing.

Janneh also averaged 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. She appeared in 27 games, starting in each.

More From RTI: How Watching The NCAA Tournament Drew Terrence Hill Jr. To Tennessee Basketball

Janneh started her career with a pair of seasons at St. Peter’s. As a sophomore, she averaged a double-double, posting 18.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. This made her a sought-after transfer in the portal before landing at Texas A&M as the nation’s leading defensive rebounder. As a freshman, she averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.

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The forward is from London, England, attending Barking Abbey Sixth Form for her prep ball. She would be the second player from England to join the Tennessee roster if she committed. UT also added the commitment of incoming freshman and former Boston College signee Irene Oboavwoduo this offseason.

So far, Caldwell and the Lady Vols have landed five transfers in this portal cycle. This features Liberty guard Avery Mills, Northern Arizona guard Naomi White, Stanford forward Harper Peterson and Georgia forward Zhen Craft and guard Rylie Theuerkauf.

Tennessee will also roster a pair of incoming freshmen. Four-star recruit and top-50 prospect Gabby Minus is staying true to her signing despite the roster overhaul and assistant coaching changes, along with the addition of Oboavwoduo.





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Texas needs at least $174 billion to avoid water crisis, state says

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Texas needs at least 4 billion to avoid water crisis, state says


AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — Texas communities will need to spend $174 billion in the next 50 years to avert a severe water crisis, a new state analysis revealed Thursday. That’s more than double the $80 billion projected four years ago, when the Texas Water Development Board last passed a state water plan.

The three-member board presiding over the agency authorized the highly anticipated draft blueprint Thursday, the first administrative step toward adopting the water development board’s plans for the next 50 years. The plan, released every five years, encompasses the projects that 16 regional water planning groups in Texas said are the most urgent, water development board officials said. 

The board’s latest estimates come as the state’s water supply faces numerous threats. Growing communities across Texas are scrambling to secure water, keep up with construction costs and cope with a yearslong drought. This week, Corpus Christi officials said the city may be just months away from declaring a water emergency. Meanwhile, other rural cities by the Coastal Bend are rapidly drilling wells to avoid a crisis. Residents in North Texas have also been bracing for groundwater shortages.

In an effort to restrain the crisis, lawmakers last year called an election in which voters approved a $20 billion boost for communities to use on water-related expenses. The water development board’s estimate shows that what lawmakers proposed on the ballot falls dramatically short of the needed cash, experts said.

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“What this number tells me at the end of the day is if we don’t get serious about (funding water projects), there are going to be serious consequences for Texas,” said Perry Fowler, executive director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network. “Even with the billion-dollar-a-year plan kicking in, it’s not going to be enough to offset the costs of the projects that are going to have to be executed.”

The new estimate accounts for 3,000 projects, from regional infrastructure upgrades to smaller endeavors such as drilling new water wells. Texas’ water supplies are expected to drop by roughly 10% between 2030 and 2080, according to the water plan. In that same time frame, the maximum amount of water communities can draw is also expected to decline by 9%.

The 80-page plan notes approximately 6,700 recommended strategies that would add water to the state’s dwindling portfolio. The recommendations — which are not accounted for in the cost — include developing new supplies from aquifer storage and recovery, brackish groundwater, desalination and recycled water. It also calls for water conservation.

The report suggested that if Texas does not implement the plans and recommendations, the state is one severe drought away from an estimated $91 billion in economic damages in 2030.

The state’s plan attributes a variety of reasons for the bigger price tag, such as higher costs of construction due to inflation, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains, and a growing backlog of water supply projects.

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“There’s a plan that can meet our needs,” said Matt Nelson, deputy executive administrator for the Office of Planning at the water development board, adding that they take their cues from the regional planning groups. “These are local projects that folks need to implement; they’re needed regardless of how they’re funded. It’s important to remember these are not top-down projects or state projects.”

Experts told The Texas Tribune that the board’s estimate is only a fraction of what Texas communities will need to ensure they have water in 50 years’ time, saying growth and development are outpacing the state’s ability to keep up.

“This is a bigger water plan in terms of volume strategies and capital costs compared to anything we’ve ever seen before,” said Jeremy Mazur, the director of infrastructure and natural resources policy at think tank Texas 2036.

Mazur suggested that the $174 billion only covers water supply projects and does not account for updating aging infrastructure, adding that the actual price could amount to a quarter of a trillion dollars.

“There’s a substantial magnitude with regard to the capital investment needed to both fix our aging and current systems and potentially develop the water infrastructure, water supply projects that we need.“

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The report largely confirmed what many water experts have warned regarding threats to the state’s water supply, said Sarah Kirkle, director of policy at the Texas Water Association.

“Population growth, extreme weather, and economic development needs are all increasing demands on our infrastructure, and the state is going to need more water, sooner,” Kirkle said. “This is all while water projects are becoming more costly and complex because the easiest and cheapest local projects have already been developed.”

Fowler, with the infrastructure network, said he expects the Texas Legislature to take up the issue next year, when lawmakers meet for the 90th legislative session. He said the state should take a bigger role in ensuring that communities can afford their respective water projects.

“It’s going to have to be a top-down priority, there’s no way around it,” he said. “The challenges are so immense that it’s going to take all hands on deck.”

Texas residents have until the end of May to comment on the proposal. Water development board officials must adopt it by January 2027.

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Alejandra Martinez contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans – and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.



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Co‑worker confesses to killing missing North Texas man and stealing his car, police say

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Co‑worker confesses to killing missing North Texas man and stealing his car, police say



A North Texas man reported missing earlier this week was found dead Friday, and police say a co‑worker has confessed to fatally shooting him and stealing his car.

The suspect, Gregory D. Lewis, 34, remains in custody and faces a forthcoming capital murder charge, according to the Fort Worth Police Department. 

Lewis is accused of killing 31‑year‑old Thomas King, who had been last seen in his Taco Casa work uniform. King was reported missing on Tuesday after failing to return home Monday from the fast‑food restaurant in the 1100 block of Bridgewood Drive.

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Car found at Arlington motel 

Police said King’s car was found at the Quality Inn on I‑20 in Arlington, and surveillance video showed Lewis arriving in King’s vehicle shortly after King left work. 

Detectives identified the man in the video and arrested him on unrelated charges.

  Gregory D. Lewis, 34

Tarrant County Jail

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Body discovered on Fort Worth’s East Side 

King’s body was located on Friday in an open field on Fort Worth’s East Side, authorities said. 

According to police, Lewis confessed to shooting the victim and stealing his car. 

Medical examiner review pending 

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. 

CBS News Texas has reached out to Taco Casa for comment.

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