Applications wanted for Texas Organic Agricultural Industry Advisory Board

Dec 09, 2015

Deadline for applications is Friday, December 18th

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is looking for applicants to occupy spots on the Texas Organic Agricultural Industry Advisory Board.

“The Organic Agricultural Industry Advisory Board is an integral part of leading the charge to promote the organic agriculture industry in Texas,” Commissioner Miller said. “By working together, we have been able to draw on the collective expertise of our board members to raise awareness about this dynamic segment of the industry and foster continued growth in this area of Texas agriculture.”

The 12 spots that need to be filled are:

4 organic producers
2 organic retailers
1 organic distributor
1 organic processor
1 person representing a Texas trade association for the organic agricultural sector
1 person representing Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
1 technical advisor employed by a higher education institution or a government agency as a researcher or instructor
1 person representing the public

Texas legislators created the advisory board in 2007 in an effort to help the Texas Department of Agriculture evaluate the state’s organic industry, make recommendations, promote and expand the industry.

There are approximately 146 organic certified producers in Texas and according to the 2014 Organic Survey, the Lone Star State houses about 127,000 organic acres of farmland and generated $199 million worth of organic sales in 2014.

Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Texas Organic Agricultural Industry Advisory Board must apply by Thursday, December 31^st.

Join the conversation and tell us if you’ll consider applying for a position on the advisory board.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.