Awards Add Shine to Texas Pride

I am always proud of the work our team does here at the Texas Department of Agriculture and apparently I’m not alone. The Texas Association of Fairs and Events recently awarded 11 Ray Cammack Shows Awards of Excellence for Marketing and Communications to TDA’s 2010 State Fair of Texas Food and Fiber Pavilion.

Each year, the Food and Fiber Pavilion, presented by Borden, educates countless Texans about agriculture while supporting dozens of Lone Star businesses and highlighting Texas pride. Congratulations to the TDA team that makes this award-winning effort possible.

Following are the awards:

1st place – Best Agricultural Education Program
1st place – Best Promotional Advertising — Outdoor
1st place – Best Radio Promotion — Ad Spot or PSA
1st place – Best Specialty Video
1st place – Best Promotional Poster
1st place – Best Program/Brochure/Flyer — Four or more colors
1st place – Best Miscellaneous Printed Materials
1st place – Best Other Merchandise
1st place – Best Environmental/Green Program
2nd place – Best New Media Platform
2nd place – Best Newsletter

Food and Fiber Pavilion at State Fair of Texas is a Sight to See

Guest Blogger: Drew DeBerry, Deputy Agriculture Commissioner

This year marks the 39th year of the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Food and Fiber Pavilion bringing Texas products to visitors at the State Fair of Texas.

If you're in Dallas Sept. 24 - Oct. 17, I encourage you stop by the Food and Fiber Pavilion, which is sponsored by Borden. You can find items from more than 100 GO TEXAN members who are selling the best of Texas foods, clothing, gifts, leather goods and cotton products.

The State Fair is a great Texas tradition that offers fun for the whole family. Live music, fair food, an auto show and livestock competitions are just some of the great attractions at the fair. Visit the State Fair of Texas website for a schedule of events, maps and other helpful information.

We hope to see you there!

Don't Miss the Last Week of the Texas State Fair

This week is your last chance to enjoy the Texas Department of Agriculture's Food and Fiber Pavilion at the State Fair of Texas. The 2008 State Fair will draw to a close on Oct. 19, but there’s still time to experience fun cooking demonstrations, high-energy exhibits and exciting special events.

The third week of events and activities promises an exciting finish to this year's Pavilion, presented by Borden. Try a sample of Texas beef, taste award-winning Texas wine and learn how the diversity of agriculture touches our everyday lives.

Click here for a detailed schedule of the final week’s events.

Click here for a virtual tour of the TDA Food and Fiber Pavilion.

The clock is ticking to enjoy this Texas family tradition, so don’t miss out!

Tree Giveaway at the State Fair of Texas

This year’s State Fair of Texas offers plenty of southern fun and a great opportunity to add some greenery to your own piece of Texas soil.

On Monday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Texas Department of Agriculture will host the Texas Forestry Association’s seedling giveaway. Planting trees is an easy way to make family memories and add to your home’s landscape, and this year TDA makes it easier than ever. Just find your way to our Food and Fiber Pavilion, and pick up a containerized Shumard Oak seedling to add to your landscape.

Once the tree is planted, you and your family can look forward to many years of autumn leaves in shades of purple and red. Shumard leaves turn their brightest red in December, making the perfect backdrop for Christmas decorating. The tree will grow along with your family, and can reach as high as 120 feet tall.

For more information, visit www.gotexan.org or visit the Food and Fiber Pavilion’s blog here.

TDA's Food and Fiber Pavilion Goes High Tech

The Food and Fiber Pavilion has gone high tech this year, and has its own blog. You can keep up with all the exciting happenings at The State Fair of Texas through Oct. 19.


Week two at this year’s TDA Food and Fiber Pavilion at the State Fair in Dallas promises a variety of exhibits, hundreds of quality Texas products, cooking demonstrations and other events.


Click HERE for a full calendar of events at the pavilion. The second week is exciting and promises a look at the wide variety of Texas products, fun demonstrations and educational exhibits. To see highlights for week two (Oct. 7-13) at the pavilion, click here.

State Fair of Texas Highlights

If you are looking for high-energy exhibits, hundreds of quality Texas products, cooking demonstrations and other exciting special events, then I recommend visiting TDA's Food and Fiber Pavilion at the Texas State Fair, presented by Borden.

The State Fair of Texas is going on until Oct. 19. Click HERE for a full calendar of events at the pavilion. Fairgoers love to experience the world of Texas agriculture firsthand. This opening week offers terrific opportunities to do just that.

Here is a look of the highlights for the first week of the fair at the pavillion:

• You'll love these animal ambassadors! Straight from the Wild Wonders Outreach Program at the Fort Worth Zoo, birds of prey, small mammals, reptiles and other outdoor friends will visit the Pavilion. Visitors will mix, mingle, meet and greet the animals. There's educational fun for all ages. Noon-2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1.

• In the mood for a great meal? Southwest Dairy Farmers and the Texas Beef Council will partner together and entertain fairgoers with exciting beef and dairy cooking demos. Noon-2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30 and Thursday, Oct 2.

• Tap your feet, harmonize and join in as the Cabaret Sweet Adeline Quartet regales the crowd with cabaret tunes. The group consists of Patty, Pam, Donna and Holly - four women from four different states - singing for your enjoyment. Noon-2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3.

• Enjoy the culinary show of Molly Fowler, the Dining Diva, as she displays her GO TEXAN cooking skill with live demos. A traveling culinary instructor, television personality and cookbook author, Fowler shares her secrets with ease and flair. Noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4; 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5.

• Stop by and say hello to fairground favorite Borden's Elsie the Cow, who returns to the Pavilion promoting the goodness of dairy products. Also, rock out with Radio Disney as it broadcasts live from the Pavilion. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5.

• Kids can't get enough of the engaging musical duo The Biscuit Brothers. Their television program The Biscuit Brothers, produced in Austin, won a Lone Star Emmy for best children's programming in 2006. Come sing along to the catchy (and educational) Biscuit music in the Texas Beef Council Exhibit. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5.

• Country singer Haley Reynolds, the Dairy Festival Queen of Hopkins County, dazzles visitors on the Southwest Dairy Farmers Gazebo Stage. Noon-2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6.

• Toast a taste of Texas good cheer at the State Fair of Texas Wine Garden, presented by Kroger and sponsored by TDA. This week, representatives from Fall Creek Vineyards in the Hill Country, Llano Estacado Winery on the High Plains, Haak Vineyards on the Gulf Coast and Pleasant Hill Winery in Brenham are just some of the people on hand in the Wine Garden to help teach the story of Texas wineries and wines. Visitors will discover and meet the people who have put the Lone Star State on the worldwide winemaking map.

See you there!

“Texas” showcased at GO TEXAN Food and Fiber Pavilion

Click photo to activate slideshow of the Fair Foods and Find Wine event

I’ve always known there was something special about the Lone Star State, and at the State of Fair of Texas you are able to truly experience the spirit of those who make our state unique. On Thursday I kicked off the Fair activities at the Fair Foods and Fine Wine event held in the GO TEXAN Food and Fiber Pavilion.

The event celebrated Texas foods and wines and showcased one-of-a-kind creations. From watermelon salsa and raspberry/jalapeno jelly to succulent steak quesadillas and Texas wines, the Food and Fiber Pavilion gives visitors a true taste of Texas. It’s definitely a stop you should plan to make on an empty stomach! And those who want to get a jump-start on holiday gift shopping need to stop by the Texas Monthly Mercantile Store and Pioneer Brand General Store.

GO TEXAN members have displayed hundreds of unique items such as domino necklaces and tasty treats made from original recipes. Best of all are the Texans who have worked so hard to see their dreams become reality. These are men and women from all walks of life, but with one thing in common – they are all GO TEXAN members.

I’m so proud of our GO TEXAN program in that it helps Texans promote their designs and products. The State Fair of Texas runs through October 19. Take your family out there, and stop by the GO TEXAN Food and Fiber Pavilion for a tantalizing taste of our great state.