GO TEXAN!

Promoting Texas products is always easy to do, but it makes it easier when major restaurants use more of the products grown by Texas farmers and ranchers. I had the opportunity to address McDonald’s restaurant owners from all over Texas on Wednesday and learned they purchased $71 million worth of Texas agricultural products last year. Being the largest cattle-producing state in the nation, it’s also great to hear that McDonald’s is the largest buyer of beef in the nation.

At the Texas Department of Agriculture we are working with restaurants all over the state to become GO TEXAN restaurant members. The GO TEXAN Restaurant Program connects restaurants with local farmers and ranchers so that Texas-grown products can be served to diners.

More and more consumers want to purchase local products, and we are excited about the opportunity this provides for the Texas agriculture community. A recent article in The New York Times highlighted efforts by Frito-Lay, headquartered in Plano, to purchase local products. I personally know Frito-Lay is very interested in the Texas potato market, and as a result, the company has been a leader in helping us find solutions to challenges facing Texas potato farmers.

Creating partnerships with Texas farmers, restaurants and companies makes sense. It ensures not only that we have access to quality food, but keeps dollars and jobs right here in the Lone Star State.

Remember GO Out. GO Eat. GO TEXAN.