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!

Comment

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

Join Ontario Agriculture

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

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

Next Gen Agriculture Mentorship Program Cohort Seven Announced

The Saskatchewan Next Gen Agriculture Mentorship Program announced the mentor - mentee pairings for cohort seven in Regina today. This 18-month program provides emerging agricultural leaders with hands-on leadership development and opportunities to participate in decision-making that shapes the future of Saskatchewan's agriculture industry. “Programs like this are crucial in supporting the next generation and helping build a bright future for Saskatchewan’s agriculture sector,” Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald said. “Connecting young people with experienced mentors gives them the opportunity to learn and succeed in their careers, strengthening the agricultural industry as a whole.” "The Next Gen Agriculture Mentorship Program has been influential in developing the next generation of agriculture leadership in our province," Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said. "Thanks to the dedication of our mentors, participants gain the knowledge and conf

McCain Foundation Invests in Agriculture Education and Rural Community Capacity in Manitoba

Agriculture in the Classroom–Manitoba (AITC-M) is proud to recognize the McCain Foundation for its support of AgVenture at Manitoba Ag Days 2026. This investment was critical in making this programming possible. Each year, AITC-M relies on committed partners like the McCain Foundation to deliver essential agriculture education experiences that connect students and communities across southwestern Manitoba with real-world agriculture careers and strengthen understanding of Manitoba’s agri-food sector. Held January 20–22, 2026 at the Keystone Centre in Brandon during Manitoba Ag Days, the program created meaningful opportunities for students, educators, and community members to engage with agriculture in practical, hands-on ways. Through AgVenture, AITC-M’s flagship agriculture career exploration program, more than 1,200 students in Grades 7–12 and their educators took part in a hands-on learning experience that connected classroom education with real-world agriculture careers. Studen

Building Canada strong by investing in water and wastewater infrastructure in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island

Building a strong Canada starts with investing in the infrastructure that makes it possible to increase housing supply and empower communities. In Budget 2025, the Government of Canada announced the Build Communities Strong Fund, a key initiative to build the infrastructure that Canadians rely on every day. This fund will speed up the construction of the hospitals, recreation centres, universities, and colleges that serve our communities; the bridges that move our goods; and, the water and transit systems that keep our towns and cities running. This week, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, officially launched the Build Communities Strong Fund. This new fund will provide $51 billion over 10 years through three major streams to support a wide range of infrastructure projects that support economic prosperity, housing, sport, education, health, transit, and climate adaptation across the country. The Build Communities Strong Fund will be a force multiplier in infrastructure – with funding

Hypertec's Ciara Division Becomes First Canadian NVIDIA Oem Partner Manufacturing Systems In Canada, Unlocking A Multi-billion-dollar Leap In Sovereign AI Infrastructure

Ciara Technologies, a division of the Hypertec Group and a Canadian global leader in sustainable AI infrastructure and advanced data-center technology, announced today that it has been officially designated as the first Canadian NVIDIA OEM Partner manufacturing systems in Canada. This milestone places Canada among a select group of nations with domestic manufacturing and integration capabilities for NVIDIA Certified Systems, significantly advancing the country's Sovereign AI Strategy and strengthening North American technological resilience. A Turning Point for Canada's AI Ecosystem "AI infrastructure is now strategic infrastructure," said Simon Ahdoot, CEO of Hypertec Group. "This breakthrough marks a turning point for Canada. We are building the infrastructure that will define its future. As NVIDIA's first Canadian OEM partner, we are strengthening Canada's ability to innovate, scale, and compete globally with secure, high-performance systems built at home." The initiative is exp

Ontario Farm Leaders Drew and Heather Spoelstra Named 2026 Outstanding Young Farmers

Drew and Heather Spoelstra of Roy-A-Lea Farms Ltd. have been selected as Ontario’s 2026 Outstanding Young Farmers, earning national recognition for leadership, innovation, and multi-generational farming excellence.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service