By John Paul Dineen III

My family is in the business of agriculture, helping to feed the people of our state, nation and world. I farm and ranch full time on the Blacklands of North Central Texas.  My wife, Heather, and I and our four children call Ellis County home, where we farm 1,800 acres of dryland crops. We also have a small commercial cow-calf operation.

Texas Food Connection Week, Feb. 17 -23, is being celebrated across the Lone Star State. I would like to talk with you about how we grow that food and the steps we take to ensure that food is safe, wholesome and nutritious.

By Kenneth Dierschke

In a time when just a few keystrokes into Google can reveal the answer to many of life’s most interesting questions, many Americans are still unsure of the origins of the foods they delight in each and every day. The truth is, the one thing Google and other search engines can’t share with you is the detail of the countless hours, sweat, tears, stress and pride that go into providing Americans with the world’s best, and most readily available, food supply.

By Mike Barnett

So who cares about water in Texas? Farmers and ranchers, obviously. The rest of the state? Not so much.

At least that’s the conclusion faculty members at the University of Texas made after examining public opinion polls of issues that matter most to Texans.

The economy, immigration and education are top of mind for most. Yet water—that life-giving resource—registers as a top issue with only 4 percent.

That’s a real concern.

Rural Texans understand burn bans, dry wells and short pastures. Drought is not a word. It is a reality they live with every day.

By Steve Pringle

The runoff is over and the candidate Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND backed lost. That means either Republican Ted Cruz or Democrat Paul Sadler will represent the Lone Star State as U.S. Senator after the November election.

We have work to do.

From what I’m hearing, neither candidate is paying much attention to agriculture. Let me give you a couple of reasons to reach out and grab their attention:

By Si Cook

This picture was taken on a piece of ground that I like to call “mine.” The oak tree has been standing there for probably a couple of centuries, oblivious to who “owns” the ground in which it is rooted.

As I considered this, reality set in and I came back to my senses. I really do not own anything in this picture. The good Lord is simply allowing me to take care of a part of His creation for a short time. My goal is to be a good steward and to leave what has been entrusted to me in better shape than when I found it.