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In an attempt to help those that work for the Texas Congressional delegation gain a better understanding of the problems and opportunities facing Texas agriculture, Texas Farm Bureau teamed up with the Farm Credit Bank of Texas, Texas Cattle Feeders Association and the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association to sponsor a Congressional Staff Tour recently in the Rio Grande Valley.
The two-day event explored U.S./Mexico agriculture interaction with a tour of the International Bridge Border Station at Pharr; learned about the seedstock cattle industry at La Muneca Ranch, a purebred Simbrah operation operated by Carlos Guerra; saw how chorizo sausage was made at the Chorizo de San Manuel facility; explored cattle feeding at Rio Beef Feed Lot at Linn; received a close look at agriculture research in the Valley at Rio Farms at Monte Vista; examined the sugarcane industry at Harbison Farms and at the Santa Rosa Sugar Mill; explored cotton opportunities at the Ross Cotton Gin; and toured a commercial shrimp operation at Harlingen Shrimp Farm.
Mike Risica (left photo), manager of the Rio Beef Feedyard, explains how the cattle feeding industry works, while Tammy Fisher (right photo) examines the processed corn used to feed the cattle.
Commercially-farmed shrimp were the highlight of a tour at Harlingen Shrimp Farm.
Billy Peche (above, left), flanked by Matt Schertz, takes a close look at cotton being ginned at the Ross Cotton Gin, the newest and most modern cotton gin in the nation. Below, Congressional staffers get to see how chorizo sausage is made at the new Chorizo de San Manual facility.
Crossing the U.S. Mexico border at Progresso as part of the tour were (front row, left to right): TFB State Director
Bobby Nedbalek; Cynthia Wolfe, TFB field staff; Beth Cubriel, Sen. John Cornyn's office; Stephanie Myers, House
Agriculture Committee; Patricia Villarreal, Cong. Solomon Ortiz' office; Carmen Terry, Cong. John Carter's office; Scott
Graves, Cong. Mike Conaway's office; Jamie Moore, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's office; Billy Peche, Cong. Henry Cuellar's
office; Matt Brockman, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers; and Troy Bussmeir, Farm Credit Bank of Texas. (Back row,
left to right): Jessie Hereford, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's office; Israel Rocha, Cong. Ruben Hinojosa's office;
Damon Wells, Cong. Chet Edwards' office; Tammy Fisher, Cong. Kevin Brady's office; Matt Schertz, House Ag Committee;
TFB Legislative Director Steve Pringle; TFB Associate Legislative Director Ken Hodges; Stan Ray, Farm Credit Bank
of Texas; and Ross Wilson, Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
Steve Bearden explains the workings of the Santa Rosa Sugar Mill to the staffers, while La Muneca's prize herd bull (right photo) is given close examination at a tour of the purebred cattle operation, located near Linn.
Damon Wells (right), gets a dog's eye view of a canine used to sniff out illegal drugs and prohibited agricultural products from crossing the border at the Inspection Station at Pharr.
