Texas Department of Agriculture

Todd Staples, Commissioner

Sept. 27 - Oct. 1, 2010
GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up

Big Tex Will Go All Texas With Wines
Dallas Observer - August 23, 2010

Traveling through the wine of Texas
Lubbock Avalance Journal - Aug. 23, 2010

Bryan Black
Asst. Commissioner for Communications
or
Veronica Obregon
Chief Communications Officer

Phone: (512) 463-7664

TDANews@texasagriculture.gov

Audio

	09-08-2010 Lending
	The Dallas Federal Reserve's quarterly survey of credit conditions indicates a growing optimism among Texas farmers and ranchers. Bill McLean reports natural and economic conditions both appear favorable overall.
	09-06-2010 Migratory Bird Follow-up
	Federal authorities have been inundated with applications to help provide alternative habitat for migratory birds in the wake of the Gulf oil spill. Bill McLean reports landowners from Texas to Florida responded.
	08-13-2010 Farmers Markets
	Since the first farmers market opened in the Lower Rio Grande Valley two years ago, consumer demand has been strong. Bill McLean reports four markets are finding a niche between Hidalgo County and South Padre Island.
	08-11-2010 Estate Tax
	If Congress takes no action on the estate tax by the end of this year, many agriculture families may face the prospect of selling their land to pay their taxes. Bill McLean reports.
	08-09-2010 TERP
	Agriculture producers near urban areas may qualify for grants to upgrade or replace old engines or vehicles. Bill McLean reports the deadline to apply is approaching soon.
08-06-2010 Independent Banks
Recent financial reform legislation has focused a spotlight on the banking industry, and local, independent banks are trying to use the opportunity to differentiate themselves from the pack. Bill McLean reports.
08-04-2010 Mosquitoes
Given the right conditions, summertime is mosquito time, particularly when it rains. Bill McLean reports.
08-02-2010 Sorghum
Diabetics and people with wheat allergies may soon find a wider range of healthy processed foods available from the food industry. Bill McLean reports the demand for sorghum is increasing as a healthy alternative for human consumption.
07-23-2010 Wesley SFSP
The Texas Department of Agriculture is partnering with a San Antonio summer camp to feed children while school is out. Bill McLean reports.
07-21-2010 Antibiotics FDA
Federal officials invite agriculture producers to comment on what they call "draft guidance" pertaining to antibiotics ranchers give to their animals. Bill McLean reports.
07-21-2010 Migrating Birds
More federal dollars are available to landowners who want to help A federal intervention to replace migratory bird habitat lost to the Gulf oil spill has proven extremely popular among Texas Coastal landowners. Bill McLean reports lots moreadditional money is available but the deadline is soon.
07-19-2010 RGV Flood
Hurricane Alex is gone but the floodwaters from the storm have ravaged crops, livestock and homes in South Texas , and damage estimates are in the millions. Bill McLean reports.
07-16-2010 Migratory Birds
Texas is one of eight states mounting an unprecedented intervention for migratory birds who usually stop for a while along Gulf Coast wetlands on their way south for the winter. Bill McLean reports.
07-14-2010 Watermelon
There's no better time than now to enjoy a sweet, juicy, Texas watermelon. As Bill McLean reports, Texans should have plenty to choose from as summertime is peak watermelon season in Texas.
07-12-2010 Cuba Trade
Some of the travel and trade restrictions of the 50-year-old Cuban embargo would be lifted under legislation just passed by the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. Bill McLean reports.
07-02-2010 Webinar
A new Texas map illustrates the current reach of broadband Internet service, and Bill McLean reports that map will help state officials and service providers determine how to connect all Texans with high speed internet access.
06-30-2010 Children’s Garden
A 27-year-old program designed to teach inner-city children how to grow vegetables keeps growing in San Antonio. Bill McLean reports visitors come from around the world to see one of the oldest children's teaching gardens in the nation.
06-28-2010 Winecasts
The Texas Department of Agriculture is promoting tourism with a series of online videos that will take visitors on a virtual drive through the state's wine trails. Bill McLean reports.
06-11-2010 Chefs Tour
Texas chefs are making field trips to farms as a popular new means of forging partnerships between those who raise our food and those who prepare it. Bill McLean reports.
06-09-2010 Rural Land Sales
Now might be a good time to buy rural property if you can find it, but one renowned economist says few rural landowners are under strong enough pressure to sell. Bill McLean reports.
06-07-2010 FLH
The proud descendants of Texas agricultural pioneers are honored for their families' contributions to the Lone Star State. Bill McLean reports the 35^th Annual Family Land Heritage Ceremony is one of Texas agriculture's most hallowed events.
06-02-2010 Mayors Challenge Teleconference Part 1
On June 2, Commissioner Staples held a teleconference with reporters across Texas on the importance of Summer Food Programs. You can listen to part one of the teleconference here.
06-02-2010 Mayors Challenge Teleconference Part 2
On June 2, Commissioner Staples held a teleconference with reporters across Texas on the importance of Summer Food Programs. You can listen to part two of the teleconference here.
06-02-2010 Mayors Challenge Teleconference Part 3
On June 2, Commissioner Staples held a teleconference with reporters across Texas on the importance of Summer Food Programs. You can listen to part three of the teleconference here.
06-02-2010 Mayors Challenge Teleconference Part 4
On June 2, Commissioner Staples held a teleconference with reporters across Texas on the importance of Summer Food Programs. You can listen to part four of the teleconference here.
05-21-2010 Animal Antibiotics
When livestock and poultry are sick they need medication to get well. Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples says producers and veterinarians use antibiotics sparingly and only when needed. Bill McLean reports.
05-19-2010 Feral Hog Fences
Texas A&M wildlife biologists say a recent experiment shows automated deer feeders also attract feral hogs that run off the deer. Bill McLean reports fencing may be the best answer available right now.
05-17-2010 Ag Credit
The tougher your financial problems were during the recession, the harder it may be to get credit as 2010 progresses, especially if you're an ag producer. Bill McLean reports credit remains tight for those who need it the most.
05-07-2010 GHG Emissions
Texas A&M University scientists are measuring the greenhouse gases produced from beef cattle feedlots. Bill McLean reports.
05-05-2010 Johanns NAIS
The National Animal Identification System takes another nail in its coffin, this time on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Bill McLean reports.
05-03-2010 Turfgrass
You may not think of that lawn out front of your house as an agriculture product but turfgrass is big business, and as Bill McLean reports, it's even considered a Specialty Crop.
04-23-2010 Wildlife Expo
What has been called the Texas Forest Expo has had to be renamed this year because it's gotten so popular and more sponsors than ever are making the Woodland and Wildlife Expo the biggest it's ever been. Bill McLean reports.
04-21-2010 E-rate
Millions of dollars are available to Texas public libraries for Internet and other telecommunications services, but they haven't been applying for it. Bill McLean reports that may be starting to change.
04-19-2010 NRCS 75th
This month the Natural Resources Conservation Service celebrates its 75^th anniversary of working with private landowners to protect the land on which they grow our crops. Bill McLean recalls the agency's beginning.
04-16-2010 Spring Flow
A recent study indicates stream flows in the Edwards Plateau region of Texas have increased, contrary to common perceptions that woody plants have been drinking up the available water. Bill McLean reports.
04-14-2010 Foreign Workers
A new study of potential labor shortages in the nation's dairy industry examines how losing workers can affect the nation's economy as well as consumer milk prices. Bill McLean reports.
04-12-2010 Algae Oil
Texas AgriLife Research scientists say the oils produced by one subspecies of algae may have helped produce the underground crude oil reserves we rely on today. Bill McLean reports.
04-09-2010 West Texas Business
Entrepreneurs and business leaders in rural West Texas towns are not the only ones interested in the success of their local economies. Bill McLean reports a partnership of agencies is reaching out to help.
04-07-2010 Recession Job Growth
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples says hard work and a pro-business attitude brought Texas through the recession relatively unscathed. Bill McLean reports ... if jobs are any indication ... recent USDA research confirms it.
04-05-2010 Specialty Crop Grant
How do you get people across the nation to buy Texas grapefruit? Partner with local newscasts from Atlanta to San Francisco! As Bill McLean reports, it helps when you have a Rio Star grapefruit to talk about.
03-19-2010 Vet Shortage
With large-animal veterinarians in short supply these days, USDA is offering to help repay medical school loans for those who meet certain conditions. Bill McLean reports.
03-17-2010 Cuba Trade
A Congressional Committee is looking at relaxing the 50-year-old trade embargo with Cuba. Bill McLean reports.
03-15-2010 AgrAbility
Ag producers who are sidelined by an injury or chronic health condition often don't know where to turn for help. Bill McLean reports the Texas AgrAbility Project wants to change all that.
03-05-2010 Child Nutrition
Congress is preparing to reauthorize the child nutrition programs, and federal officials promise to work with states to make it easier for children to receive free meals. Bill McLean reports.
03-03-2010 Wind and Cotton
Cotton farmers have little choice but to accept windy conditions and sandblasting as an often-expensive part of their cost of doing business. Bill McLean reports on efforts to reduce that cost.
03-01-2010 NAIS
USDA goes back to the drawing board with its National Animal Identification System. Bill McLean reports feedback from a nationwide listening tour prompted the reversal.
02-19-2010 Afghanistan
Today's Afghan farmers have problems enough with the logistics of primitive farming methods, but Bill McLean reports they also have some practical constraints most Americans wouldn't be familiar with.
02-17-2010 Fire Ants
Entomologists statewide are telling Texans it is important NOT to believe everything you read on the internet. As Bill McLean reports, there is a lot of bad advice on the Web when it comes to controlling fire ants.
02-05-2010 Texans Feeding Texans
The Texas Department of Agriculture awards $9.5 million dollars to local agencies statewide that serve meals to homebound elderly and disabled Texans. Bill McLean reports.
02-03-2010 Food Prices
Grocery prices have dropped for the fifth consecutive quarter, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Bill McLean reports.
02-01-2010 Taiwan
It took the Taiwan government less than three months to reverse a carefully-negotiated trade agreement for U.S. beef, and Bill McLean reports the reinstated ban irks cattle producers and government officials alike.
01-22-2010 Biomass Assistance
Landowners are being offered money to help stimulate the nation's fledgling biomass energy effort. Bill McLean reports a federal program will sweeten the pot for eligible materials that are sold to certified conversion facilities.
01-20-2010 Digester
USDA says it's going to help dairy farmers reduce that industry's greenhouse gases by 25 percent over 10 years by promoting and funding anaerobic manure digesters. Bill McLean reports.
01-18-2010 Rural Intern
Rural Texas communities that could use assistance over the summer from an eager college student from one of the state's urban areas may want to consider a new Texas Department of Agriculture program. Bill McLean reports.
01-15-2010 Hunger Initiative
Ending hunger in Texas by 2015 - that's the goal of the Texas Hunger Initiative recently launched at the Baylor University Hunger Summit. Bill McLean reports.
01-14-2010 Soundbites from Texans Feeding Texans Press Conference
Soundbites from Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples after announcing the awards of approximately $9.5 million to agencies that serve meals to homebound elderly and disabled Texans. The grants are provided through TDA's Texans Feeding Texans: Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program.
01-13-2010 Firewood
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples encourages Texans who burn wood in fireplaces to get your wood from a local source to prevent the spread of invasive insects. Bill McLean reports.
01-11-2010 GoTexan 11 years
The Texas Department of Agriculture is celebrating 11 years of GO TEXAN advertising and promotional support for Texas communities and businesses. Bill McLean reports.
01-01-2010 Grow Your Own
If you're considering your options for new year's resolutions, you may want to consider planting a small garden. Bill McLean reports there is lots of help to get you started.
12-30-2009 Cottonseed
A minor genetic modification to the cotton plant may soon result in a major breakthrough that could make cotton a food crop as well as a fiber source. Bill McLean reports.
12-29-2009 Soundbites from Commissioner Staples on Texas Rural Internship Program
Commissioner Staples talks about the benefits of the Texas Department of Agriculture's Texas Rural Internship Progam. The program gives Urban Texas students a chance to experience life in rural Texas.
12-28-2009 Bio Energy Council
Making Texas the leader in biofuels and energy production is one of the Legislature's goals, and as Bill McLean reports, the Texas Bioenergy Policy Council will recommend what lawmakers should do to achieve that goal.
12-18-2009 Feral Hoax
The Internet's rife with hoaxes and one of them is fed by pictures of feral hogs that have attained freakish sizes - such as an 1,800 pound animal purportedly killed near Conroe. Bill McLean reports.
12-16-2009 Gift Guide
If holiday shopping is creeping up on you while time to do it is slipping away, here's an idea that can save you a lot of time and help support rural economies in Texas. Bill McLean reports.
12-14-2009 Mayors Challenge
Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples honored the Mayor of Corpus Christi for rising to his Mayors Challenge to promote nutrition through the Summer Nutrition Programs. Bill McLean reports.
12-04-2009 Obesity and Cancer
A new report says excess body fat is directly responsible for several different types of cancer. Bill McLean reports researchers say it causes more than 100,000 cases of cancer in the U.S. each year.
12-02-2009 Hungry
New figures released by USDA show one in six Americans is food insecure. Bill McLean reports here in Texas food banks are seeing a growing number of clients.
11-30-2009 Texans Bring It
With about one-third of our state's 10- to 17-year olds classified as obese, the Texas Department of Agriculture has produced a kid-friendly, online video to show young Texans their health is in their own hands. Bill McLean reports.
11-27-2009 Compost
In many parts of the country leaves have already fallen, but in Texas we're just beginning to consider raking them up to put them out for the trash. Instead of that, why not make a compost pile? Bill McLean reports.
11-25-2009 The New Florida
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples says his department's marketing of Texas rural communities as retiree destinations is paying off. Bill McLean reports.
11-23-2009 IPM Conference
When kids or grandkids go to class, you want them protected from bugs and the insecticides used to kill those pests. As Bill McLean reports, a newly formed association is doing just that.
11-20-2009 Hunters For Hungry
As archery season gives way to the general hunting season, Texas hunters are helping hungry Texans enjoy the holiday season a little more. Bill McLean reports.
11-18-2009 Iraq Extension
The Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture is showing Iraqis how Texas does agriculture. Bill McLean reports Texas A&M plays a lead role in a federal program to help Iraq learn to feed its people.
11-16-2009 Nitrate Poisoning
Texas AgriLife Extension is warning livestock producers that common weeds coming back to life after the drought can build up enough nitrate to poison their cattle. Bill McLean reports.
11-06-2009 Milk
Agriculture producers are used to profit fluctuations, but the dramatic swings dairy farmers are experiencing have forced many out of business. Bill McLean reports.
11-04-2009 Invasives
Texas is under invasion by several different plants and animals that threaten to displace native species. Bill McLean reports the Texas Invasive Plant and Pest Council invites ecologists from all disciplines to its third annual conference this month.
11-02-2009 Drought Recovery
The percentage of Texas that remains in drought has shrunk so much in the last month or so that many people think we are "back to normal." However, Bill McLean reports "back to normal" is a relative term for our farmers and ranchers.
10-28-2009 Trade Action Network
The Texas Department of Agriculture invites the state's international trading partners to join and participate in the newly established Trade Action Network. Bill McLean reports.
10-26-2009 Prescribed Burn
Landowners and guests of the JA Ranch inspect the benefits of planned fires as a land-management tool. Bill McLean reports.
10-16-2009 Wind
The largest wind farm in the world became fully operational this month in Nolan County. Bill McLean reports.
10-14-2009 Feral Hog Experiment
A recent study of feral hog feeding habits may shed some light on why their population has been increasing in Texas. Bill McLean reports.
10-12-2009 Bring It: My Pyramid Cafe Trailer
In honor of National School Lunch Week, Oct. 12-16, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples has announced the Texas Department of Agriculture is releasing a trailer or sneak peek of a digitally animated public service announcement (PSA) created to encourage Texas students to adopt the 3E's of Healthy Living - Education, Exercise and Eating Right. The PSA is part of a larger campaign called "Bring It," designed to engage youth to make decisions that will help them live healthy lives free from obesity-related illnesses.
10-12-2009 Grocery Prices
Retail grocery prices continued to go down for 16 pantry staples according to the Texas Farm Bureau's Grocery Price Watch. Bill McLean reports.
10-09-2009 Las Vegas
Just like Texas is a whole ‘nuther country, Viva Las Vegas! takes on a whole new meaning later this month when TDA's Certified Retirement Community Program descends on the AARP Convention. Bill McLean reports.
10-07-2009 Land Use Trends
Texas A&M researchers predict the loss of agricultural land may prompt a change in the way that land is valued. Bill McLean reports.
10-05-2009 Ants
Rasberry Crazy Ants are spreading from Houston ... where they were discovered seven years ago ... through South Texas. Bill McLean reports they've been discovered in 14 counties.
09-25-2009 Stewardship
The Natural Resources Conservation Service invites landowners to consider applying for a revised stewardship program. Bill McLean reports.
09-23-2009 Obesity Costs
The estimated price tag for next year's obesity-related healthcare is prompting Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples to call upon citizens to make choices that will promote individual health. Bill McLean reports.
09-22-2009 Audio of Commissioner Staples' Speech at Climate Bill Summit in Austin, TX
Commissioner Staples discusses the potential impact of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (HR 2454) bill at a joint meeting of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Texas Railroad Commission and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
09-21-2009 Chilli Thrips
Landscapers, nurseries and homeowners, as well as many farmers, are potential targets of a new pest in Texas that attacks about 40 different plant families. Bill McLean reports.
09-18-2009 This Year's GO TEXAN Restaurant Round Up PSAs
GO TEXAN Restaurant Round Up Public Service Announcements!
09-11-2009 Walk Across Texas
The Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas public schools team up next week to kick off the school year with an emphasis on developing healthy habits. Bill McLean reports.
09-09-2009 School Meals and Flu
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples is working with federal authorities to ensure if a flu outbreak closes a Texas school, students don't go hungry. Bill McLean reports.
09-07-2009 Wine Trails
The grape harvest is underway and Texas wineries are brewing with activity. Bill McLean reports the harvest would be an excellent time to drive one of the state's wine trails.
09-04-2009 Parallel Pathways
The Texas Department of Agriculture is investing at least $500,000 in a pilot grant program to create more pathways to the workforce for local students. Bill McLean reports.
09-02-2009 Whaling Ship
Dying live oaks dating back to the 1900 Galveston Hurricane are being salvaged to help restore the last American wooden whaling ship. Bill McLean reports.
08-31-2009 Not Swine Flu
International agriculture authorities say the correct term for the global pandemic outbreak is the H1N1 virus. Bill McLean reports calling it by the wrong name is misleading to the public.
08-28-2009 Connected Nation
Texas leads the way to bringing broadband high-speed Internet service to rural Texas homes and businesses. Bill McLean reports.
08-26-2009 Calling Young Farmers
Recently released results of the 2007 Census of Agriculture indicate the average age of farmers is older than it used to be. Bill McLean reports the Texas Department of Agriculture is trying to change that.
08-25-2009 Commissioner Staples' Speech to Texas Tech College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Staff
Listen to an excerpt of Commissioner Staples' speech in Lubbock at the National Ranching Heritage Center. He spoke to faculty and staff from the Texas Tech College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources on August 25.
08-24-2009 Roadrunners
Texas AgriLife Researchers are discovering new information about roadrunners and their ecology. Bill McLean reports.
08-21-2009 Round Rock
The U.S. Census Bureau reports the second fastest-growing city in the United States last year was Round Rock, Texas. Bill McLean reports.
08-19-2009 Grasshoppers
An onslaught of grasshoppers is chewing its way across West Texas and the insects are extremely difficult to control. Bill McLean reports.
08-17-2009 Shining Star
The Texas Department of Agriculture salutes Clifton, Texas as winner of the annual Hardworking Rural Community Shining Star Award, a tribute worth $3,000. Bill McLean reports.
08-07-2009 Child Hunger Cost
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples says the cost of child hunger should be measured not in dollars, but in its potential to erode our society's productivity. Bill McLean reports.
08-05-2009 Biogas Plant
The Leona (lee-OH-nuh) community in Leon County anticipates some growing pains as its local economy faces potential change. Bill McLean reports, this is rural economic development in action.
08-03-2009 FLH
Say the word "Texas" to anyone, anywhere, and they will have an immediate image in their mind. The Texas Department of Agriculture wants to honor families who are responsible for that heritage. Bill McLean reports.
07-31-2009 Mosquitoes
Entomologists say we're entering the worst part of mosquito season in Texas. Bill McLean reports.
07-29-2009 Manure Management
Animal waste used to be something ranchers and dairy farmers had to get rid of somehow, but now it's become central to lawmaker policy discussions. Bill McLean reports a manure management conference seeks to take control of that discussion.
07-27-2009 Drought Losses
Texas AgriLife Extension says this year's drought so far has cost producers about $3.6 billion in losses. Bill McLean reports.
07-24-2009 Litterbugs
Do you ever see someone tossing trash out their car window and want to do something about it? Don't Mess With Texas gives you that opportunity. Bill McLean reports.
07-22-2009 Hunters for Hungry
The Texas Hunters for the Hungry program continues to grow, and as it gears up for this hunting season, they hope to surpass their expectations again. Bill McLean reports.
07-17-2009 CRP Leases
Leases are ending this fall for many Texas landowners who have had farmland in the Conservation Reserve Program for 20 years or more. Bill McLean reports.
07-15-2009 Broadband TF
Bringing high-speed internet to rural Texas is now in the hands of the Texas Broadband Task Force, according to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples. Bill McLean reports.
07-13-2009 Rainwater Capture
As drought lingers in Texas, many people statewide are considering rainwater collection and finding it's easy. Bill McLean reports some people discover that's just the first step.
07-10-2009 GT Hunt and Fish
Businesses that cater to hunting and fishing are now invited to GO TEXAN, and be a part of the Texas Department of Agriculture's worldwide marketing campaign. Bill McLean reports.
07-08-2009 Squeal On Hogs
Feral hogs in the Plum Creek watershed in Caldwell and Hays counties are under the scrutiny of local residents... who are squealing on the hogs. Bill McLean reports.
07-06-2009 Phorid Flies
After 80 years of not having to deal with predators, the imported fire ant in Texas and the Southern U.S. is being reacquainted with natural predators from South America. Bill McLean reports.
07-03-2009 Texas Economy
The most news on the economy runs the gamut from mediocre to bad, but Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples says many experts agree Texas is poised to lead the way to recovery. Bill McLean reports.
07-01-2009 GO TEPP
Consumers across Texas, the U.S. and the globe are discovering the products and places that make the Lone Star State special, in part because of the GO TEXAN Partner Program. Bill McLean reports.
06-29-2009 TRA Food Show
Many restaurateurs (rest-rah-TOORS) looking for exciting new items are starting their week in Dallas. Bill McLean reports this is a great chance for GO TEXAN members to get their products on Texas menus.
06-26-2009 Watershed
Planning officials and water professionals have a better shot at receiving money from the Environmental Protection Agency if they speak the language. Bill McLean reports... the Texas Water Resources Institute is conducting a course in August to teach that language.
06-24-2009 Milk
Some Texas dairy farmers are going out of business because it costs them more to produce milk than they can sell it for. Bill McLean reports.
06-22-2009 Eminent Domain Reform
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples calls on the governor to make eminent domain reform a priority of the anticipated special session of lawmakers. Bill McLean reports.
06-12-2009 Lunchroom Equipment Apps
State authorities are reviewing an onslaught of applications for grant funds to upgrade the equipment used in school lunchrooms to prepare meals for public school children. Bill McLean reports.
06-10-2009 A and M Ag College
Texas A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has become the biggest of it's kind in the nation. Bill McLean reports.
06-08-2009 Living History
It won't stop the clock on the aging process, but time truly stands still at the Sauer Beckmann Living History Farm in Stonewall. Bill McLean reports it will make history come alive for children while taking adults back in time.
05-29-2009 Weather Patterns
Some parts of Texas are no longer in drought, but other parts of Texas remain in a dry chokehold that may continue well into the summer. Bill McLean reports.
05-27-2009 Disaster Prep
Summer brings us hurricane season, and as we watch for them this year, Bill McLean reports you may want to be pro-active in your preparations.
05-25-2009 Vacation
The vacation season is upon us, but to save money many people are cutting back on their plans. Bill McLean reports those of us lucky enough to live in Texas can visit a "whole ‘nuther country" right here at home!
05-22-2009 Wildfire Costs
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples is asking the federal government to declare 18 counties in North Texas a disaster area so producers can apply for wildfire relief assistance. Bill McLean reports.
05-20-2009 Gators
You might not think of Texas as alligator habitat, but coastal and east Texas are crawling with them... more and more according to biologists. Bill McLean reports... in their natural state, alligators are as afraid of you as you are of them.
05-18-2009 Summer Food
Texas leads the nation in the number of children under 18 who don't know where their next meal is coming from, and that disturbs Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples. Bill McLean reports.
05-15-2009 Garden Tilling
The latest science supports no-till agriculture as an excellent means of soil conservation, but as Bill McLean reports, that practice is not necessarily applicable to home gardens.
05-13-2009 Vilsack Dams
Before the advent of huge concrete and steel dams to create urban reservoirs, the Corps of Engineers built smaller, earthen dams to help rural communities avoid flooding. About two dozen of them in bad need of repair are receiving federal recovery funds. Bill McLean reports.
05-11-2009 Broadband
Promoting broadband internet access in rural Texas is one of Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples' economic development priorities, and he's mobilizing partners as the federal government prepares to release money for that purpose. Bill McLean reports.
05-08-2009 Schoolyard Air
Texas is one of 22 states where the Environmental Protection Agency is monitoring air quality in individual school yards. Bill McLean reports.
05-06-2009 Market to Menu
More and more Texans are discovering the freshness and value of local fruits and vegetables. Bill McLean reports... the farmers who grow those products, the farmers markets that sell them and the local chefs who like to prepare them for your table are forming a partnership.
05-04-2009 Winnie ONF
About 100 Southeast Texas ranchers whose fences got washed away by Hurricane Ike last September got some help putting in new fences recently. Bill McLean reports.
05-01-2009 Cuba Travel
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, who led a trade delegation to Cuba last summer, calls for additional changes in federal trade policy pertaining to Cuba. Bill McLean reports
04-27-2009 Eminent Domain
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples joins other private property rights advocates who are calling upon lawmakers to revise the state's eminent domain laws. Bill McLean reports.