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Texas Agriculture Archive

November 7, 2003

Planet Agriculture: 'New & Improved'

By Lana Robinson
Field Editor

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Texas Farm Bureau's Planet Agriculture opened this fall with some exciting changes that visually enhance the exhibit, more actively engage viewers and more clearly convey the story of agriculture. James Gipe, TFB's Planet Ag coordinator, said the "new and improved" interactive display received warm receptions at fairs in Abilene, Amarillo, Dallas and Waco.

"We definitely had people spending more time looking at things than in the past," said Gipe, who has watched the project grow from infancy to a full-blown attraction at major fairs and stock shows throughout the state over the past seven years, "One comment at the West Texas Fair in Abilene that came from a fairly distinguished looking gentleman was `This is the most professional looking display I've ever seen.' People call it `outstanding' and `wonderful'—not only the nonagricultural people, but producers themselves. It's a source of pride."

In addition to offering more interactive stations featuring various aspects of agriculture, Gipe said the new emphasis reinforces the message by allowing visitors to navigate a realistic course, somewhat like a virtual tour.

"One of the biggest changes is that we have gone to 7 x 10-foot 'enviro-scapes,' or ag scenes, as a backdrop. We have a cotton field being harvested, cattle being worked, and other scenes from the ag environment. Those really set the tone, and give people the feel of the activities and work on the farm," said Gipe.

Gone are the wooden backdrops, replaced by graphic panels, which are much easier to set up and take down and present a more dramatic portrayal of agriculture, he said.

"It facilitates things much faster. Before, we had to hand staple and take down graphics. Now, the graphics are attached to Velcro-ready surfaces. We can easily change the graphic and the message to suit a particular venue. It's a lot more flexible.

"Another neat, new addition is the presentations stage whereby different agriculture groups or speakers can address groups on particular topics," he said.

According to Gipe, the Planet Agriculture concept originated as a result of participation by the organization in the San Antonio Stock Show back in the early 1990s.

"We could see that they had a beef center in the beef barn, a dairy center in the dairy barn, and the same for sheep and goats. We thought, why not bring all these type things under one roof? That was how it came together. The first application of the idea was at the Heart of Texas Fair in 1997. That's where we cut our teeth. Then in 2000, we went to the Fort Worth Stock Show. With the visibility acquired at that first show, it exploded!"

Gipe attributes the recent positive changes in Planet Agriculture to the stalwart commitment shown by the Texas Farm Bureau Board of Directors. Two years ago, a Board committee formed to evaluate the overall program. That committee, led by then Vice President Kenneth Dierschke, met six times over a period of a year, visiting different sites to observe, evaluate and make recommendations. Other committee members included Dist. 5 Director Don Smith, who became chairman with the election of Dierschke as TFB president last fall; Dist. 8 Director Dan Dierschke; Dist. 9 Director Albert Thompson, Dist. 11 Director Bob Reed, Dist. 1 Director Ralph Detten, and past Dist. 12 Director Zachary Yanta.

"They really paid attention to the market analysis which said we were in the right venues and reaching the right people, but that we were using too much of a shotgun approach. They suggested a more singular message so that folks coming into the exhibit would feel that they had seen or experienced a part of a farm," Gipe explained. "And they suggested we use more monitors highlighting specific commodities."

Gipe said another new technique incorporated into the program is the rotation of commodities and different displays from one year or venue to the next so the exhibit is fresh for those who may have visited it before.

"We revamped two of our computer stations, our cotton and beef, to a touch screen format," he added.

Gipe said the past success of the exhibit has largely been due to the participation of county Farm Bureau volunteers and the help of the Texas Farm Bureau field staff. The Board committee has recommended a volunteer producer per diem program whereby producers will receive $100 to work a seven-hour shift.

"This allows them to come in and be compensated for their time and ensures that we will have an ag producer on site to discuss his or her profession. I think that is a very positive thing. Adequate manpower is always a concern from the standpoint that the learning curve goes down without the proper people, who are knowledgeable, with a good personality, and not afraid to share," said Gipe.

Another result of the Board committee's work is a new traveling Planet Ag trailer that can be dispatched to smaller events.

"We've had so many requests for Planet Ag that we can't fulfill them all," said Gipe. "The new trailer is ideal for a small county fair or the ag fairs held in conjunction with Ag in the Classroom in many of our counties. It's a condensed version with seven different displays that explain agriculture."

In 2003, TXU Energy sponsored Planet Agriculture at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Dodge was the exhibit's sponsor at the Star of Texas Fair, San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo, Tri-State Fair and Rodeo, and the West Texas Fair and Rodeo. Dodge, along with Pilgrim's Pride, cosponsored Planet Ag at the State Fair of Texas.

To date, the following commodity groups have come together with Texas Farm Bureau to commit support for Planet Agriculture: Southwest Dairy, Dairy Max, Texas Pork Producers, Texas Beef Council, Cotton, Inc., Texas Cotton Ginners Association, South Texas Cotton and Grain Association, Cargill, Texas Nursery and Landscaping Association, Texas Poultry Federation, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Texas A&M Department of Poultry Science, and Texas Florists Association.

" The steps the Board took in revamping the program was a major commitment to telling agriculture's story by the Farm Bureau. The exciting part of it is that it has not been a single entity. We've spearheaded it. We're the coordinating body, but a consortium of people came together to make it happen. It's a collective team effort."

The 2004 Planet Agriculture Exhibit is coming to a location near you: Jan. 17-Feb. 8—Fort Worth Stock Show, Fort Worth; Feb. 21-29—San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo, San Angelo; Mar. 2-21—Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Houston; Mar. 13-27—Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo, Austin; Mar. 20-28 Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show, Mercedes; Sept. 10-18—West Texas Fair & Rodeo, Abilene; Sept. 17-25—Tri-State Fair & Rodeo, Amarillo; Sept. 24-Oct. 17—State Fair of Texas, Dallas; and Oct. 8-16—Heart of Texas Fair & Rodeo, Waco.