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.”

AUSTIN — The Kansas City Chiefs landed star-studded former Texas Longhorns receiver Xavier Worthy in last month’s draft when they traded up to select him in the first round at No. 28 overall.

The Chiefs added another former Longhorn via the draft, though it might have flown under the radar a bit for some fans.

Former Texas tight end Jared Wiley officially signed with the Chiefs on Wednesday, per reports from NFL insider Aaron Wilson. Kansas City selected Wiley in the fourth round (No. 131 overall), adding him to a tight end room that already features arguably the greatest ever at the position, Travis Kelce.

Wiley spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Texas, playing one season under coach Steve Sarkisian in 2021. However, after making 19 catches across 32 career games for the Longhorns, he elected to transfer to in-state and in-conference rival TCU ahead of the 2022 season.

The decision worked out for the Temple, Texas native. Wiley was able to play on a big stage for the national runner-up Horned Frogs in 2022 before having a career-best year individually this past season, posting new highs in catches (47), receiving yards (520) and receiving touchdowns (five).

Wiley and Worthy played one season together in 2021 and are now reunited with the back-to-back Super Bowl champs.

POSSUM TROT, Texas (KLTV) – In the Pineywoods of Shelby County resides a community of families that embraced some of the most difficult-to-place kids in the foster care system. Over 20 years later, they’re getting a movie made.

First Lady of Bennett Chapel Baptist Church, Donna Martin, said it all started back in 1998 in the small town of Possum Trot.

“It was a hurting… and a calling,” Martin said.

A calling to adopt. With the support of her husband, Bishop W.C. Martin, they started the process, ultimately taking in four kids on top of their two biological ones.

“Because no child, no child, anywhere in this world deserves to not have a loving, caring home,” said Lady Martin.

But that mission to change the life of these kids grew into something much bigger than they ever expected.

Over the years, their example and building of community for adoptive families within their church led to 22 families adopting 77 kids.

“They saw what we as leaders, were not just preaching but setting an example,” Martin said.

Nearly all kids within their local foster care system ended up getting a home. Bishop Martin recalls hearing the moment a worker shared the impact they’d made.

“Susan said, ‘Well, Bishop Martin, I’m telling you that there’s not another child within 100-mile radius of Possum Trot.’”

CPS Regional Director Lori Sutton-White was involved in connecting a group of five sisters to one of the families. She says she’d never seen anything like Possums Trot’s movement.

“At that time, we just did not have the kind of movement where you saw an entire church or entire community come together,” Sutton-White said.

This community’s mission is to serve as an example of a possible solution to the current foster care crisis.

Bishop Martin said, “If every church would take two or three children. Every church. I don’t care if you got 20,000 members or you got two members, if every church would take two, we would empty this system… just like that.”

That’s something Sutton-White agrees with.

“We wouldn’t have a need for foster care. We would have more than enough for our children,” she said.

That message is now coming to the big screen. The Martins said Sound of Hope has been in the making for about 10 years and will depict their real-life experiences, and even reveal where some of the adopted kids are today.

As for the ones they took in, Lady Martin shared they’re doing great. She said some are currently practicing their careers while others have started families of their own.

“The greatest reward that we receive is to look at their lives where they are today,” she said.

Sound of Hope will come out in theaters July 4th.

For more information on East Texas kids available for adoption, please email hello@heartgalleryetx.org.

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