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Texas Agriculture Archive

November 21, 2003

Excellence in Agriculture
Promoting Ag at the local level

By Tom Nicolette
Director of Media Services

Comanche, Erath and Hamilton counties—that's where July Danley spends her time promoting the agricultural industry in a variety of methods. As the executive director for TriCounty Agribusiness Association, Danley organizes educational and fun ag-related community events and promotes the importance of area agriculture on the economy through public relations.

"I have a great passion for promoting agriculture. I have a wonderful respect and admiration for the farmers and ranchers who spend their days plowing the land and raising the livestock that provide us with the safest and most abundant food supply in the world," Danley said.

In her role, she serves as an ambassador for agriculture by attending community functions representing agriculture. Danley's responsibilities include speaking at local chambers of commerce and other civic clubs, assisting with children's ag field days, writing articles on agribusiness issues and feature stories on youth involved in agriculture for area newspapers, and addressing questions on local radio about current farming and ranching issues. She also designs advertising and a TriCounty association newsletter in which she includes Farm Bureau activities occurring in the region.

"Through the funding from Dairy MAX and Southwest Dairy Museum we provide milk at various community functions to foster a positive relationship between the community and the dairy industry. Our biggest event is DairyFest, which is a huge celebration of the area's largest industry, held at the Stephenville City Park in June...National Dairy Month," Danley said.

The executive director said TCAA is more active in Erath County, but the association is working diligently to become more involved in Comanche and Hamilton counties. She has assisted at several ag days and a farmers' share luncheon in Hamilton County, and at Comanche County's annual Farm, Ranch & Dairy Day.

Danley, 27, grew up in a farming and ranching family in Las Cruces, New Mexico. "My involvement in 4-H and FFA activities is what really made me aware of the importance of agriculture to everyone in our nation," she said.

Danley then moved east to Texas to attend Tarleton State University, where she earned a bachelor of science in speech communication and a master of business administration in management.

Now firmly established in the Central Texas area, Danley was recently elected to serve as a director on the Erath County Farm Bureau Board. She expressed her desire to have a ranch some day where she would raise cattle and horses. But for now that dream is on hold as Danley continues her duties as executive director of the TriCounty Agribusiness Association.

"Our number one purpose is to communicate the vital role agriculture plays in every single person's day-to-day life...especially the lives of those here in the TriCounty area, where agriculture is the largest industry and brings in the most money for our economy. In turn, it makes us have a good quality of life," Danley said.