There's income out there ...
Develop rural Texas

By KRISTY HEMMINGSEN | East Texas Edition

Texas Ag Commissioner Susan Combs talks to a group in Texarkana about how her department can help communities and individuals build their rural economic development ideas. -Staff photo by Hemmingsen

November 8, 2001 -- In 1999, the Texas Legislature, recognizing the interdependence between rural businesses and communities and the agricultural industry, directed the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to begin assisting rural businesses and communities in addition to the agency's traditional work with farmers and ranchers.

To get the word out, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs and staff have been meeting with farmers, ranchers, rural development and community leaders and rural citizens to discuss issues that are affecting the agricultural industry and rural Texas.

The meetings, deemed "town hall" meetings, are also an opportunity for citizens to share their ideas with TDA officials. The main focus, though, is to educate communities and individuals on how they can improve their economic status through rural development.

One recent town hall meeting in Bowie County (Texarkana), Combs explained to the few in attendance that TDA is trying harder each day to provide rural businesses with financial assistance through the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority, and helping start-up businesses get the resources needed for planning and marketing.

"Our goal (TDA) is to give economic opportunities to those wanting to take advantage of rural economic development in their communities," explained Combs. "The challenge is to have something that fits most communities."

Combs keyed in on an example of turning property into a nature tourist attraction, such as butterfly- or hummingbird-gardens.

"Nature tourism allows property owners an additional form of income," she explained. "Big city folks really go for stuff like this.

"I know of one guy who started out with a flat piece of ground with nothing on it. He bought and put out bunches of flowers and then built a neat rustic building, which was adorned with old trivets and dried flowers. He also made a walkway through this 'garden' of flowers and also put out covered benches for seating," said Combs. "People come and sit on the benches and just look around at the flowers. It is doing so well that there is now a place just like it down the road.

"Huge amounts of people want to come into your back yard," stated Combs.

Another example of nature tourism is creating a maze through a corn field. "I know of a guy who has only about seven to eight acres of corn which he took and used his machinery to cut out a spot in the shape of Texas. And now, people pay him real money to go out there and get lost in the corn field," she explained.

Combs said there are opportunities in dairy goats as well. "The market for goat cheese is up; consumers want goat cheese," she added.

"And hunting is huge," continued Combs. "But I don't know how big it's going to be in 15 years, because the number of hunting licenses issued is flat and our population is going up, which means, we are not attracting the younger generation to hunting.

For one, hunting is expensive. There are leases and equipment to put money into. "Hunting also takes time and society doesn't reward those who hunt anymore. Hunters feel they have to put tarps over their deer these days," she told the group.

The ag commissioner also said there is money in shrimp farms, horse farming, and mesquite wood.

"Mesquite has become a high-end commodity," she explained. "Home owners are using mesquite for the flooring in their expensive homes. Or it can be used to make jewelry boxes and furniture. And, it's good for fencing. It's a beautiful and almost cherry-colored wood.

"The point is," explained Combs, "in agriculture, there are many opportunities. People are making lemonade out of lemons." And TDA is available with "recipes" for developing these opportunities.

One of the main concerns today is not about those who are, say, in their 50s, but it's more about the generation behind them. Combs noted that if a person could add $15,000 a year to hunting, or to develop four acres of grapes, or build a nature tourism site, this would give the younger generation the economic choice to stay in what they would like to do.

"But that is very difficult to do," explained Combs. "I cannot control Federal Farm Policy, all I can do is try to give economic opportunities."

She also said more and more farmers and ranchers living right outside the city limits of large cities are selling their land for development. She said many cannot afford to farm and they need the money offered to them by the developer.

"Farm production prices went up 4 percent last year and is suppose to go up more this year," she stated.

"One thing important to know about rural economic development," said Combs, "is that we will try to give as many ideas as we can for what could benefit the community, but it is the community's desire and vision to determine their own future. It's the community's business to know what will be effective.

Combs concluded by saying, "Find what the consumers in your community want and then see how you can take advantage of that. Attack your resources. Many people now are using the Internet more in order to advertise and sell directly to the consumer.

"People want to come out to the country, but we don't want them on our land. But, that's were the money is. We need to open our gates."