Texas
Texas legislators, staff grow ag knowledge during farm visit – Texas Farm Bureau
By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
Texas legislators and legislative staff got their boots dirty during a trip to the farm to learn more about agriculture.
Hays, Travis and Caldwell County Farm Bureaus worked with the Luling Foundation and the Texas Ag Council to host the Legislative Ag Day on May 8.
Several Texas legislators and over 60 staff members for Texas senators and representatives attended the event, growing a better understanding of agriculture and the issues facing the industry.
“There are a thousand people a day moving to Texas. A lot of them are coming from big cities, and they probably don’t have any connection with agriculture,” Joe Morris, Travis County Farm Bureau president, said. “We’re trying to bring legislators and their staffers out to the farm and show them around, so they can gain an understanding about what it takes to put food on the table and clothes on your back.”
This year’s event was held at the Luling Foundation, a model farm established over 90 years ago. The farm has been a longtime advocate for Texas agriculture and has a long history of diverse agricultural practices.
“It’s important for legislative staff to see, meet and speak with farmers and ranchers. This event gives legislators and their staff firsthand experience and visualization of what farmers and ranchers do,” Makayla Arthur, senior policy analyst for Sen. Brian Birdwell, said. “It bridges the gap of knowledge between a person who’s never experienced or been exposed to agriculture with a person who lives it every day.”
The day’s activities included various demonstrations to showcase different aspects of farming and ranching in Texas.
A demonstration on beef cattle production showed different feed rations the Luling Foundation feeds its cattle, as well as discussion on grass-fed and grain-finished beef. Questions centered around the current state of the cattle market and the impact ongoing drought and recent wildfires have had on cattle herd numbers.
A sheep production presentation showed participants the differences between wool and mohair.
“I think one of the things we take for granted is the clothes we put on every single day,” Jaime Villarreal, chief of staff for Sen. Carol Alvarado, said. “We think of food as something that will always be around, but then we think about the labor it took to grow or raise that food. A lot of the times, unless our clothes are a synthetic material, it’s coming from another big part of the agriculture industry, like sheep production.”
Rep. Stan Kitzman noted Texas is growing increasingly urban.
Kitzman’s district includes Waller, Austin, Fayette, Colorado, Wharton and part of Ford Bend counties, covering areas that have a agricultural production but are facing urban sprawl.
“What was already a difficult industry to survive in, we find that our resources for agriculture are being taxed even more, especially with the loss of our agricultural land,” Kitzman said. “We have less and less land to produce our food and fiber on, and it becomes more important that those who make the laws and the legislature understand how critical having our food and fiber grown here is to our food security.”
Participants also learned about forestry, water, viticulture and other challenges facing farmers and ranchers.
The event was an opportunity to cultivate relationships with legislators and their staff and answer any questions they might have about agriculture.
“It’s really important for staff members like myself to attend events like the Legislative Ag Day,” Lauren Hadley, chief of staff for Rep. Gina Hinojosa, said. “We represent downtown Austin and don’t have a lot of farmland in our district, but issues that happen in rural areas impact our district. So, it’s good for us to have the opportunity to see and gain knowledge on agriculture and how it’s impacting our constituents.”
The day closed with a skeet shoot demonstration, giving the legislators and staff an opportunity to try their hand at the sport and learn about gun safety.
“When our farmers and ranchers prosper, the state prospers. I think Texans recognize farming and ranching is important to the state and helpful for our economy,” Villarreal said. “We need to ensure that farmers and ranchers have the resources to continue to be successful.”
When it comes to passing the “eye test,” so much of it starts in the weight room. Few coaches in college football have a more proven track record of developing NFL‑ready players than Tommy Moffitt, the longtime strength‑and‑conditioning guru and now Texas A&M’s Director of Football Strength & Conditioning.
When Mike Elko took over at Texas A&M, he needed someone who could set the tone physically and culturally. His S&C coach at Duke chose not to follow him to College Station, and the search began. The coach they ultimately landed on was Moffitt, fresh off running his private training program after his legendary run at LSU ended. And as Moffitt has said many times, he already had his eye on Texas A&M well before the job officially opened.
Now entering his third offseason in Aggieland, the program is fully in his hands. The combination of Elko’s culture shift and Moffitt’s physical development plan has positioned the Aggies for a noticeable jump in toughness and consistency. And Moffitt’s return to the college ranks wasn’t guaranteed. In a recent conversation with Chris Low of On3, he detailed how some in the industry doubted he’d ever coach at the SEC level again.
“He gave me a list of agents, and I left a lot of messages. One guy calls me back and says, ‘Coach, I think you’re past your prime. I don’t see you ever getting another job like this one (LSU), He told me he thought the best I was going to do was maybe an FCS job, maybe something in the Group of Five and that he didn’t ever see me coaching in the SEC again. “That motivated me more than anything.”
For someone with Moffitt’s résumé that includes multiple national championships and decades of elite development, that kind of dismissal was surprising. But instead of stepping back, he doubled down. He already had Texas A&M circled as the place he wanted to be, thanks in part to conversations with former A&M staffer Jeremy Jacobs, who spoke highly of Elko’s vision, discipline, and training philosophy.
“That was the reason why I sought out this job so hard. Jeremy and I stayed in contact, and he loved Coach Elko, “He talked about his plan and his vision, how his teams practice and the emphasis he puts on training and discipline. I remember telling my friends in Baton Rouge, ‘Hey, look out for this Duke team,’ and they started rolling with some wins.”
“I called so many times that they told Jeremy to tell me to stop calling, that as soon as (Elko) got a break that he would call me”
Moffitt was so persistent that the staff eventually told Jacobs to ask him to stop calling; Elko would get back to him when he had a moment. When that call finally came, it became one of the most impactful decisions of Elko’s early tenure.
Players rave about Moffitt’s energy. Recruits notice the physical transformation. And the program’s identity—tough, disciplined, accountable—mirrors the man running the weight room.
For the full interview with Chris Low, check it out here (subscription required).
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin in an interview with CBS News confirmed ICE will be at the World Cup
Target is spending billions to remodel more than 100 stores across the country, including a dozen in Texas.
The retail chain announced that it would invest about $5 billion in 2026 toward remodels and new stores, as well as technology upgrades to “create more personalized, joyful experiences for guests.” Stores will have updated floor plans, and hundreds of millions of dollars will also go towards store payroll and training, according to a March 3 news release.
Customers can expect to see new home displays showcasing on-trend decor, the Target Beauty Studio featuring more than 60 new-to-Target beauty brands, and an expanded assortment of food and beverage brands.
“This new chapter of growth at Target is defined by clear choices and rooted in a deeper understanding of our unique lane in retail, the guests we serve and the areas where we’re distinctly positioned to win,” said Target Chief Executive Officer Michael Fiddelke.
Texas stores getting a makeover
Here’s where the remodeled stores in Texas will be, according to USA TODAY:
- Greater Houston: Westchase, Willowbrook and Galveston
- San Antonio/South Texas: SW Military Drive, SE San Antonio and San Marcos
- DFW/North Texas: Vista Ridge, Garland East and Eastchase
- Central & West Texas: Temple, McAllen Northwest and El Paso Central
USA TODAY contributed to this story.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on x; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook.
It’s Ella Langley and Texas for the win in 2026, as Academy of Country Music voters chose Texas artists, and Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” as the top winners. You could also say the ACMs chose authenticity and twang along the way. Though much of the presentation failed to represent the best in popular country music, many of the awards did, even with performers like Zach Top and Megan Moroney walking away empty handed.
It was a clean sweep for Ella Langley and all the awards she was up for. She won both Single and Song of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas,” which actually doubles her take on both since she was also a co-producer and songwriter on the tracks. She also won Female Artist of the Year, Artist-Songwriter of the Year, and Music Event of the Year for “Don’t Mind If I Do” with Riley Green.
Those seven wins mean that Ella Langley had a historic night, with the most wins ever accrued by an artist in one ACM year. Three artists have won six total over the years: Garth Brooks (1991), Faith Hill (1999) and Chris Stapleton (2016). Ella Langley probably would have won Album of the Year and Entertainer of the Year if she’d been nominated for them. Next year she will be, and will go in as a front runner for both.
Ella Langley is from Alabama, not Texas. So are The Red Clay Strays, who walked away with Group of the Year, breaking Old Dominion’s dominant (and rather ridiculous) 8-year winning streak for the award. The Red Clay Strays won New Duo or Group of the Year in 2025, and now up their game with the big boys in the mainstream with the win.
But it’s two artists who started in the Texas scene that scored the rest of the evening’s top prizes. Parker McCollum’s self-titled album might have not come with massive hits, or been a critical favorite of the Americana crowd. But it was clearly deeply personal to him, and illustrated how a mainstream album could still hit a bit left of center and with a deeper tone, and still be successful, including winning Album of the Year.
Parker McCollum mentioned Koe Wetzel, Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers Band, and “all my Texas country and Red Dirt family” in his acceptance speech. Winning Album of the Year is a career-defining moment for Parker, and a moment the entire State of Texas can be proud of.
Same goes for Cody Johnson, who except for Langley, was the big winner of the night. After taking home his first ACM for Male Vocalist of the Year, he walked away with the evening’s top prize of Entertainer of the Year. Though Morgan Wallen fans will rightfully argue that their boy is multipliers bigger than Cody Johnson, the Texas native is no slouch. He’s been tearing it up as an entertainer (the award is considered just as much about live performance as anything), and unlike Wallen, Cody’s kept his nose clean over the years.
If Luke Combs or Chris Stapleton would have won Entertainer, it would have felt like the safe pick. If Lainey Wilson won for a third straight year—especially with Ella Langley’s big night—it would have illustrated how the industry has really overextended for Lainey, even if she’s one of the better voices in the mainstream. It was too early for Megan Moroney to win, and she’ll have more opportunities. Cody Johnson might not, but he cashed in this year, and will forever be the 2026 ACM Entertainer of the Year.
What does all of this mean? Well first, you always have to remind yourself that it’s “just the ACM Awards.” As an example, only three of the seven artists up for Entertainer of the Year were even present in the building (Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson). Streaming on Amazon as opposed to being broadcast on TV, and conducted on a Sunday, the social media chatter for the awards was incredibly low.
The energy level was also low throughout the entire presentation, and host Shania Twain brought nothing but slurred words and awkward moments to the table. Carter Faith distinguished herself with her performance, and so did Ella Langley by performing “Be Her” acoustically. Cody Johnson’s “Traveling Soldier” (written by Bruce Robison and originally recorded by the [Dixie] Chicks) was a sincere gesture as opposed to performing his current single.
It was a little awkward when New Female Artist of the Year winner Avery Anna started her performance off with “Bang, Bang”—something written by Sonny Bono, but a song Kaitlin Butts has been featuring for the last few years. Kaitlin felt like she was overlooked for ACM New Female Artist consideration, but maybe the imitation by Avery is the greatest form of flattery.
Again, it’s just the ACM Awards. But the 2026 wins do seem to validate the moment we’re enjoying in country music. As silly songs from folks like Kane Brown and Thomas Rhett fell flat, it felt like the future is with artists, songs, and albums with integrity. “Texas” might not be a perfect synonym for authenticity and integrity, but it tends to hit closer to that than Nashville. And in the neutral setting of Las Vegas, Texas and top performers from Alabama won out.
There was plenty to criticize from the 2026 ACM Awards. But ultimately, the good guys won.
For a full blow by blow of the presentation, check out Saving Country Music’s 2026 ACM Awards LIVE Blog.
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