Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

From the Capitol to cattle

Day 5 of our tour started with the drive from College Station to the capital city of Austin. We headed to the Capitol, taking in the architecture and city sights. We also learned a few fun facts about the Capitol building, such as it is taller than the US Capitol building!

Our first speaker was Christi Craddick, Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. Although the Texas Railroad Commission started in the 1920’s regulating the Texan railroads, today the agency regulates the oil and natural gas industry, in addition to coal and uranium mines.


Texas produces three million barrels of oil each day, with over 450,000 miles of pipeline, accounting for one third of the USA oil demand.


Chairman Craddick shared further information on the oil and gas industries with us, and also provided her insights on leadership. She is the only statewide elected woman in Texas (other than judges), and is instrumental in mentoring other women and encouraging them to take on leadership and political roles.


Next we heard from Jennifer Rabb and Joaquin Guadorrama from the Budget Office of the Texas Lt. Governor. They shared with us that Texas is open for business with a strong economy, and further explained the Texan tax structure and overall state budget. We were surprised to learn that Texas can’t run budget deficits!


After lunch in the Capitol, we then met with Jason Fearneyhough, Deputy Agriculture Commissioner. We enjoyed an excellent question and answer session with him, discussing a wide range of topics. We learned that 1 in 7 Texan jobs are in agriculture, and Ag is the second largest economy in Texas (after oil and gas). Farmers in Texas experience similar challenges to farmers in Ontario, such as weather, cyclical markets, increasing regulation, declining rural populations, and mental health. Jason also discussed the impact social media can have on agriculture.

To wrap up our Capitol visit, Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz gave us a guided tour of the building. We saw all the highlights, including the Legislature, Senate, and even the Lt. Governor’s reception room! We learned that the Texas Legislature meets for five months every two years. We really appreciated Dr. Jim’s knowledge and connections that let us see behind the scenes!


As we left Austin, Brendan and Bernice provided a Sponsor Spotlight on the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. We learned more about OFA and their areas of focus. A big thanks to OFA for their support of AALP.


Our last stop of the day was to Schwertner Land & Cattle Company – Capitol Land & Livestock. Established in 1946, this is a family business on 20,000 acres of land, and we were happy to have Jimmy Schwertner as our host. They buy farm and ranch fresh calves and yearlings in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. This provides a market opportunity for smaller cattle farmers, and they are known for their 45-day weaning program. Thanks to Jimmy for an informative and fun tour of his operation.


We finished off a great day by heading to our hotel in Waco. This officially marks the halfway point in our tour. Time is flying by as we discover more about Texas!

Views: 755

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

SS400+ Road Show Update – Strong Momentum After Week Four

First few weeks into the SS400+ road show, interest keeps rising across every stop. Dealers and growers in Ontario, Michigan, and Indiana shared strong feedback. More regions now request field demos ahead of the tour schedule. Momentum keeps building as more people hear about the performance of the SS400+ Chassis Mounted Spinner Spreader. Numbers from the first three weeks show strong output. ·         Acres covered reached 3867.6 ·         Average rate reached 177.8 lb per acre ·         Total product applied reached 606,763 lb ·         Field time reached 16 hours 44 minutes ·         Ground speed held near 17 miles per hour ·         Hourly productivity reached 231.6 acres Michigan runs reached ranges between 183 and 300 acres per hour. Indiana stops reached steady output between 250 and 275 acres per hour. Every region reported consistent pattern quality, strong control across wide swaths, and smooth operation at higher speeds. Key SS400+ features drive this level of perfo

Market Trends Report – November & December 2025

US and the World It is that time of year when farmers reach the proverbial finish line, of getting that crop in the bin. The harvest of 2025 has been abundant, and it is also taking place in a very timely fashion with very good weather across the North American corn belt. At the same time there’s been a bit of a dearth of market information as the US government shutdown has meant very little in terms of information coming out from USDA. However, this all changed on November the 14th when despite the continuing governing shutdown, the USDA released their latest WASDE report. For market watchers it was a long two months without USDA numbers. Many were expecting much lower numbers in this November report. However, it seems like big supply is still winning. The USDA actually lowered corn yield .7 bushels per acre to 186 bushels per acre. This was much lower than pre report expectations. This put US domestic production at 16.752 billion bushels above the previous record of 15.34 billion b

Grain Farmers of Ontario 2025 Legacy Scholarship Recipients Awarded

Grain Farmers of Ontario, the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers, is pleased to announce the nine recipients of the 2025 Grain Farmers of Ontario Legacy Scholarship. Each student will receive $5,000 to support their studies at accredited post-secondary institutions. Now in its fourth year, the Legacy Scholarship encourages the pursuit of higher education, supporting students in areas of study that will benefit the Ontario grain sector or agri-food industry. Past recipients have studied in a variety of programs across the country, including Communications, Engineering, Sciences, Equipment Repair, Economics, and Agriculture. “Grain Farmers of Ontario is dedicated to championing the success of our agricultural community members, extending our support to students looking to make a difference in Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food industries,” says Jeff Harrison, chair, Grain Farmers of Ontario. “We were a

A New Window into Canada’s Pulse Quality

We've recently launched the Pulse Quality Dashboard — a new resource that makes Canada’s investment in pulse quality research accessible and interactive. The dashboard brings together years of data showing how genetics and environment influence the quality and nutritional attributes of Canadian peas, lentils, and faba beans. Designed for food industry professionals, researchers, and stakeholders across the value chain, this tool provides a clear view into what makes Canadian pulses a leader in global markets. With the Pulse Quality Dashboard, you can: Explore detailed datasets from 2019–2023 across peas, lentils, and faba beans Understand typical ranges for key compositional and functional attributes Track variety acreage over time, nationally and by province Canada’s continued investment in pulse research keeps our industry at the forefront of quality, innovation, and transparency. The Pulse Quality Dashboard represents another step forward in making Canada’s pulse quality data op

Statement On The Launch Of The Canada – India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

Today, Pulse Canada issued the following statement on behalf of President Greg Cherewyk regarding the launch of negotiations toward a Canada–India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA): “Pulse Canada welcomes the launch of negotiations toward an ambitious Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Canada and India. In 2024, pulses were Canada’s largest export to India. Canadian growers and exporters have built decades-long relationships across India, and renewed engagement is an important step toward greater market stability, lower barriers, and new opportunities for both countries. “A strong and predictable trading relationship is essential to achieving our shared vision of nutritional security. Pulses contribute to food security as an affordable, reliable staple, and to nutrition security by providing high-quality plant-based protein, fibre, and essential nutrients. “Pulse Canada supports a CEPA focused on tariff reduction, clear import policies, and a fram

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service