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Commissioner Miller Encourages Texans
to Help Farmers and Ranchers
Devastated by Wildfires Across the State
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 As firefighters struggle to contain wildfires in areas of rural Texas, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is calling on fellow Texans to lend a helping hand to those in need by donating to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) State of Texas Agriculture Relief (STAR) Fund. Together, you can help us assist those hit hardest by these disasters.
The STAR Fund was created to collect monetary contributions from private individuals and businesses to assist farmers and ranchers in responding to and recovering from natural disasters. Funds may be used to rebuild fences, restore operations and pay for other agricultural relief efforts.
“These raging wildfires are catastrophic in nature, and in their wake, they’ve destroyed homes and devastated the livelihoods of the farmers and ranchers who dedicate their lives to supplying us with food and clothing,” Commissioner Miller said. “We are Texans, and when disaster strikes, our citizens rise to meet the challenge. I ask all Texans who have the means to assist their neighbors in need to please come forward and show their support.”
You can learn more about how to donate to the STAR Fund on the Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) website.
As farmers and ranchers begin to assess the damage and rebuild their lives, Commissioner Miller is encouraging them to apply for assistance through the STAR Fund. TDA is now accepting applications for grants, which are available in areas where a state of disaster declaration has been issued by the governor.
“Every day, we depend on farmers and ranchers to provide our families with the healthy food and warm clothes that sustain our lives, and now is the time for Texas producers to lean on us,” Commissioner Miller said. “This is not a hand out, rather it’s a helping hand. I hope people in need will take advantage of these funds.”
Farmers and ranchers can apply for assistance through the STAR Fund by contacting TDA’s Grants Office at Grants@TexasAgriculture.gov or by visiting TexasAgriculture.gov.
To make a donation via check, please send it to the following address:
STAR Fund
Texas Department of Agriculture
1700 North Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78701
To donate via PayPal, click here.
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October is Texas Wine Month
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 “Texas wineries are a special part of the Lone Star State, and they represent the perfect blend of agriculture and tourism,” Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. “More than 1.5 million tourists flock to our wineries each year. I encourage you to watch our beautiful new videos and experience the Texas wine industry for yourself. Just watching them on the computer isn’t enough. I encourage everyone to find a wine trail near you and go experience it firsthand during October. After all, October is Texas Wine Month. Remember friends, from the field to the glass, Texas agriculture matters.”
To coincide with Texas Wine Month, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) and GO TEXAN program released the series of new videos, which feature beautiful vineyard scenes and a behind-the-scenes look at the wine-making process. The videos also afford viewers an opportunity to meet the people who make the Texas wine industry special. The wine trails highlighted in the video series take you across the state from the Pineywoods to Lubbock. Click here to visit the GO TEXANTV YouTube channel and watch the videos today.
Texas vineyards offer world-class wines and genuine Texas hospitality to visitors whether they come for a day trip, weekend visit or stay even longer. The state’s booming wine industry represents the perfect marriage of agriculture and tourism. Texas is the No. 5 wine-producing state in the nation and is home to more than 350 wineries. The state’s wineries are as diverse as the Texas landscape and are part of an exciting segment of the agriculture industry.
“It is a thrilling time to visit Texas wineries as they celebrate the end of the harvest in the vineyards and the beginning of the new wine releases,” said Debbie Reynolds, executive director of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association. “The Texas wine industry is vibrant and growing, and truly a favored destination by all native Texans and visitors to our great state. I can’t tell you how excited we are about the harvest this year; it’s the best ever in the history of our industry.”
Commissioner Miller encourages all Texans to watch the beautiful new wine trail videos and visit gotexan.org to find and visit a nearby Texas wine trail. Also, check out the event calendar to find exciting wine month events taking place in October. To learn more about the Texas wine industry and GO TEXAN, contact Wendy Womack at (512) 463-7170.
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Cabernet Grill: Where Great Hill Country Cuisine Meets Texas Wine
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 When you sit down at the Cabernet Grill Texas Wine Country Restaurant in Fredericksburg Texas, you will be headed for a real treat. Executive Chef Ross Burtwell has perfected the art of Hill Country cuisine. In fact he wrote the book on it, with his new cookbook Texas Hill Country Cuisine: Flavors of the Cabernet Grill. From the freshest seafood, to Certified Angus Beef, to wild game and ranch fare he uses only the finest ingredients.
Chef Burtwell sources local products whenever possible. “We get quail from Lockhart; preserves from Fischer & Wieser right here in Fredericksburg; wild game from Broken Arrow Ranch and seasonal produce from local growers. Even our shrimp is caught by boats fishing in the waters of the Gulf Coast,” says Burtwell.
And it doesn’t stop with the food. One hundred percent of the wine served at the Cabernet Grill comes from Texas vineyards and wineries. The Cabernet Grill boasts the nation’s largest “all-Texas wine list” with more than one hundred different Texas wines available. They also use spirits distilled in Texas for signature cocktails like the popular Dripping Springs Vodka and Garrison Brothers Bourbon.
Chef Burtwell’s motivation for local sourcing is not born out of a trendy environmental movement, but because he feels it is the right thing to do. “I see the faces of my neighbors sitting in my dining room. These folks farm the land, raise cattle, make wine and produce jams and jellies that are outstanding. I don’t need to source ingredients from France when I can get great products made right down the road. I believe in taking care of your neighbor, and my neighbors produce food and wines all across Texas,” says Burtwell.
“Of course, working with the Texas Department of Agriculture when sourcing these ingredients makes it easy to locate quality products. In fact, being a GO TEXAN member has not only helped us source products, but it has opened up a wide range of opportunities that allow us to share our love of local food and Texas wine with people all across the great State of Texas.”
As an added benefit, the Cabernet Grill is a part of the Cotton Gin Village, which hosts several authentic 1800’s era log cabins that serve as rustic and romantic bed and breakfast lodging. It is the perfect place to stay when visiting Fredericksburg and touring the Texas Wine Country.
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Recipe: Texas Hills Vineyard
Sangiovese Sorbet
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 GO TEXAN member and Executive Chef Ross Burtwell from the Cabernet Grill Texas Wine Country Restaurant brings us this delicious wine-flavored frozen dessert treat.
Ingredients:
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1 bottle
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Texas Hills Vineyard Sangiovese
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1 cup
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Water
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1 ½ cup
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Granulated sugar
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1 sprig
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Fresh rosemary
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½
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Lemon, juiced and zested
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½
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Raw egg white
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Preparation:
1. Place all ingredients except the egg white in a sauce pan and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for ten minutes.
3. Strain rosemary and lemon zest from the mixture.
4. Allow mixture to cool completely and add egg white to the mixture.
5. Pour into an ice cream machine and process according to manufacturer’s directions.
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The Waco Downtown Farmers Market:
A Community within a Community
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 Like farmers markets across Texas, the Waco Downtown Farmers Market came about as a result of teamwork. Several local vendors met with downtown business people to discuss the idea of creating a farmers market in the downtown area of Waco. They launched not long after, having their grand opening coincide with the final event of the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Organized by the McLennan County Hunger Coalition and Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition, more than 2,000 people from the community attended, sparking an interest that hasn’t slowed down in its almost four years of operation.
The Waco Downtown Farmers Market is now one of the most popular community gathering places in the city of Waco, and boasts a huge variety of locally-grown and raised foods, including produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, ready-to-eat foods and wine. It also supports local artists, musicians, and community organizations on a weekly basis.
“We like that GO TEXAN is a statewide certification for local products,” said manager Andrea Cody. “At the WDFM our focus is on supporting local growers, thus being a part of an organization with a brand for Texas-made and local products serves to strengthen and reinforce our commitment to local foods and products.”
If you visit the Waco Downtown Farmers Market, be sure to document your visit by tagging them on Instagram or Facebook. Don’t forget to tag GO TEXAN, too. For more information on this farmers market, visit their website.
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Farm Fresh Fridays Launched, Connects Schools with Local Food Products
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 TDA is launching Farm Fresh Fridays as part of Commissioner Miller’s five-point plan to combat childhood obesity. This latest effort provides Texas students with a direct connection to agriculture and represents cooperation between TDA, Texas schools, individual communities and local agricultural producers. Like the GO TEXAN program, it celebrates local products, in this case those served in Texas area schools.
Farm Fresh Fridays launched ahead of National Farm to School Month in October. Farm to school initiatives bring together Texas students and agriculture, and serve as a way to connect communities with locally grown food and the people who produce it. Additionally, TDA will kick off its annual Local Products Challenge this month, which encourages schools to use more Texas products in their meals. All of this is part of TDA’s efforts to bring Texas agriculture into the classroom.
“Farm Fresh Fridays is about teaching our kids where their food comes from and why it is important to make healthy choices,” Commissioner Miller said. “Our farmers and ranchers work hard every day to produce the food we eat, then members of the food service teams at our schools work hard to create healthy meals that kids enjoy. By fostering these connections and serving healthy, locally grown meals, we are building a stronger future for our state. Texas agriculture matters in each of our lives, and I’m excited to see it take a more prominent seat at the table in schools across the Lone Star State.”
As part of Farm Fresh Fridays, TDA has launched a new website, FarmFreshFriday.org. The website offers many tools and resources to establish and foster connections between Texas farmers and ranchers, schools, child care providers and local communities. Resources include: Ideas for making fresh Texas foods part of a nutrition plan; the Texas produce seasonality wheel, which teaches kids when fruits and vegetables are in season; recipes using Texas-grown products; and much more.
“Our children are our greatest natural resource, and we need them to be healthy if they are going to lead the state to a brighter future,” Commissioner Miller said.
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The Official State of Texas Cooking Implement: The Dutch Oven
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 The simplicity of the thick-walled cooking pot with its rugged construction has made the Dutch oven the cooking implement of choice for hundreds of years. The popular kitchen item got its name from the Dutch, who were making far superior pots than their English counterparts. They were using dry sand to make their molds, which gave their cast metal pots a smoother surface. An Englishman named Abraham Darby decided to go to the Netherlands to observe the Dutch system, which he copied and then patented a similar casting procedure and the name was born.
The Dutch ovens grew in popularity in England and the American colonies. The Americans made some variations, including a shallower pot, legs to hold the oven above the cooking coals and a lid flange to keep the coals on the lid and out of the food. The durability of this cooking tool made it an easy choice for the Wild West, wagon trains and camping.
The Dutch oven was designated the state cooking implement of Texas in 2005. Like the ax and the rifle, the Dutch oven was a basic necessity for early Texas settlers. These cast iron pots were among the most cherished possessions of explorers, mountain men, settlers going west, and the cattle drive cowboys. Chuck wagon cooks used two or three Dutch ovens when preparing chow (the chuck wagon was also recognized in 2005 as the official state vehicle of Texas).
Dutch ovens are used for baking, roasting, boiling, braising, frying, simmering, steaming, and other campfire cooking methods to make dishes such as biscuits, cornbread, appetizers, entrees and desserts. Modern campers are still using the durable and flexible Dutch oven (the Dutch oven is also the state cooking pot of Utah and the state cooking vessel of Arkansas).
Using the Dutch oven is still very popular. If you’d like to learn more, our friends at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have a free Dutch oven cooking class coming up on Oct. 17. If you’d like to see the variety of foods cooked in our state cooking implement, you can catch the Dutch oven competition that takes place at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo each year. If you want to try out a recipe, here is one of our GO TEXAN recipes for a Texas Brew fruited cranberry meatball appetizer. There's also the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society, who offers a wealth of resources.
It's time to get that Dutch oven out and cook like a real Texan!
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Prawns vs. Shrimp:
What’s the Difference?
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 Today, the terms prawns and shrimp are used interchangeably, but there are some distinct features that set the two relatives apart. While there are many similarities, the main differences are the way their shells are segmented and the length of their legs.
Freshwater prawns have a shell on the second abdominal segment of their body that overlaps the shell of both the first and third segments. Tropical saltwater shrimp shells each overlap just one adjacent abdominal segment, just like scales on a fish.
Shrimp have three pairs of legs terminating with pincers, also called chelae, which they use to move food to their mouth. Commonly sold prawns in the United States have chelae on only the first two pair of legs. Also, the second leg is typically much longer and thicker than the others, and the remaining six walking legs end with simple claws, not pincers.
In North America, the term prawn is generally used to describe larger shrimp. However, in the United Kingdom, Australia and other countries, prawn is a generic term used to describe all shrimp.
The important thing to remember is while there may be subtle variances in taste and texture, shrimp and prawn are generally interchangeable in the kitchen.
Now that we've got you hungry for some Gulf shrimp, go out and eat some! Don’t just ask for Texas shrimp. Insist on it!
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Hale Center: “Oasis of the Plains”
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 Hale Center, the “Oasis of the Plains,” has a history of peace-making. Two rival towns — Hale City and Epworth, both founded in 1891, merged and residents even moved buildings to the new site. The new post office and town was named for the fact that the community is at the center of Hale county.
Located 35 miles north of Lubbock at the intersection of Highway 27 and Farm Road 1914, Hale Center offers a safe, quiet and family-oriented atmosphere perfectly suited for new retirees. Boasting an excellent and highly rated public school system, Bell Cactus Park, Hale County’s Farm & Ranch Museum, Hale Center offers numerous attractions that add to its uniqueness.
One highlight is the collection of 18 citizen-painted murals depicting life on the South Plains which are spread out all over the city. Collegiate sporting events, fine dining, the arts and more are only a stone’s throw away. For those who wish to stay close for the day, fishing at Caudle Park, activities at the Hale Center Senior Citizens’ Center and other volunteer activities are always available. Annual festivities include the historic July 4th Parade and the Cinco de Mayo Celebration. All of these events and resources are what helped make Hale Center a GO TEXAN Certified Retirement Community.
Click here to learn more about Hale Center.
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Spot the GO TEXAN Mark Challenge
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Want a fun way to share the best things in Texas with the world? It’s easy!
GO TEXAN uses social media tools like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to post GO TEXAN events, share member news and increase awareness of the wide-variety of products grown and made right here in the Lone Star State.
Challenge: If you spot the GO TEXAN mark, let us know. Send us a picture of the mark on a product, sign or printed materials, and tell us where you saw it. Send us your photos using the GO TEXAN Twitter hashtag (#GOTEXAN), so we can easily retweet your message, or send us an email.
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Launched in 1999 by the Texas Department of Agriculture, GO TEXAN, with its signature mark in the shape of Texas, celebrates, promotes and supports the business savvy and plainspoken grit Texas agriculture is known for throughout the world. Whether it’s grown, sewn or served up on a plate, nearly 27 million Texans shop, travel and dine out in support of Texas businesses, agriculture and communities looking for the GO TEXAN mark to light the way. To learn more about the GO TEXAN program, call (877) 99-GOTEX or visit the GO TEXAN website.
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Volume 5 Issue 2:
In This Issue
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Visit the GO TEXAN online store for great gift ideas to show off your Lone Star pride.
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