In this issue you will find:

Horticulture News

Produce, Farmers Markets, Pick-Your-Own and Farm-to-School News

Marketing Materials Available For You

Industry Partners:

What's hotter than summer in Texas? Texas-grown products! School is starting and Texans are busy indoors and outdoors, working on their Texas-grown landscapes and enjoying fresh, Texas-grown produce. Let's continue to work together to offer them the finest plants, produce and forestry products Texas has to offer. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is here to support the horticulture, produce and forestry industries as they work to build a future for Texas agriculture. We are pleased to offer this monthly update on hot opportunities and fresh ideas from GO TEXAN.

Horticulture News

TDA has partnered with Neil Sperry Magazine to provide a discounted rate for our GO TEXAN members to advertise in the 2008 January/February issue through the 2008 November/December issue. The cost for six issues of 1/12 page is $1,158 and the cost for six issues of a 1/6 page is $1,350. Annual contracts are required and additional charges may apply for ad copy design and layout. There is limited space available and this offer is only for GO TEXAN members. The reservation deadline is October 20, 2007. For more information, call Patti Karamas at (972) 562-5050 or e-mail  patti@sperrygardens.com or  call Michelle Shook at (972) 979-3508 or e-mail mshook@sperrygardens.com.

Produce, Farmers Markets, Pick-Your-Own and Farm-to-School News

TDA continues to promote Texas produce as part of the specialty crop initiative. Farmers markets, pick-your-own farms and retail stores continue to see increases in sales as a result of advertising and retail demonstrations. Some retailers have reported up to a 44 percent increase in sales as a result of these promotions. TDA is partnering with the Texas Watermelon Association and the Watermelon Promotion Board to promote Texas watermelons in the GO TEXAN pavilion at the State Fair of Texas through recipe demonstrations and watermelon carvings.

Marketing Materials Available For You 

The new Texas Superstar brochure lists only the toughest, most reliable and best-looking plants that have survived several years of extensive field trials by Texas A&M University's Agriculture Program. Go here to download this valuable brochure. The new GO TEXAN Guide to Landscape Success is available to consumers, retailers and landscapers. This informative guide provides seven steps to landscape success. If you would like hard copies of either one of these brochures to distribute to customers, send an e-mail to grow.texan@tda.agr.state or call (512) 463-7472.