Rural Texas Communities Going the Extra Mile

Guest blogger: Rick Rhodes, Assistant Commissioner for Economic Development

Rural tourism throughout Texas is a growing trend. Whether shopping for antiques or visiting a farm or ranch operation, Texas offers plenty of opportunities for getting away.

Some rural Texas communities are going the extra mile to attract more tourists.
Levelland, for example, is a certified GO TEXAN Rural Community that is breaking ground on a new event center. The Mallet Event Center & Arena will host events such as rodeos, fairs and conferences that are sure to bring extra tourism dollars to Levelland.

On Wednesday, July 28, the public and community leaders will hold a groundbreaking for the new center. Below is a photo of what the event center will look like once it's completed. Congratulations to Levelland for promoting rural tourism.


For more information on becoming a GO TEXAN Certified Rural Community, visit www.TexasAgriculture.gov and click on Retire in Texas.

Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA)

I am in Oklahoma City this week with agriculture commissioners and secretaries from 16 other states and U.S. territories for the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) annual conference. SASDA meets prior to our national and international meetings, which follow later this year, to allow us to take a more focused look at the issues that affect our southern region.

We are sharing concepts and ideas on how to assist our farmers and ranchers in generating additional income through agritourism; how to create a strategy to ensure the voice of agriculture is not ignored in the negotiations over environmental issues; and how to receive updates directly from the new administration regarding key items.

One such item is the disaster payment program schedule. These payment programs, administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provide assistance for natural disaster losses resulting from drought, flood, fire, freeze, tornadoes, pest infestation and other calamities. FSA passed on great news that the new Livestock Indemnity Program will be announced any week now, allowing Texas livestock producers to be compensated for losses they have experienced since the 2008 Farm Bill was passed a little over a year ago. I advocated for this program and look forward to the results soon.

We also are on working with the Market Access Program (MAP) to maximize export opportunities. This program uses funds from USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation to help U.S. producers, exporters, private companies and other trade organizations finance promotional activities for U.S. agricultural products. The MAP encourages the development, maintenance and expansion of commercial export markets for agricultural commodities. The southern states are working together to ensure trading relationships are strengthened.