TALL members commit to sharing information for a lifetime

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

Richard De Los Santos of Austin (center) listens to a discussion during the social hour before the Jan. 24 dinner. The TALL class member said he is looking forward to the class trip to Brazil. He will utilize the added information in his job at TDA. � Staff photo by Cope

Feb. 2, 2006 - A polished group of 24 accepted praise for their commitment to being lifetime erg leaders during a Jan. 24 dinner in Tyler. The ninth class of Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership (TALL) is nearing the end of their two-year course designed to increase their knowledge and understanding of agriculture and related industries.

During the two-year program, TALL class members will hear over 300 speakers involved in the ag industry, cited Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz, TALL director, during the dinner. “They will have completed 455 total hours of study ... and meet over 3,000 people” during presentations and tours within the wide spectrum of the state and world agricultural fields.

Class members’ fields also cover a wide spectrum – from ag bankers to working ranchers.

Next on the class agenda is the one “foreign” trip, included in the TALL coursework. They will travel to Brazil in April before graduating June 1.

Class member Michael Tolbert of Tyler summed up the benefit of TALL with one word, “Knowledge. ... We’ve had a full agenda to learn about (agriculture) in this country.” During the class tour to Washington, D.C., Tolbert, a beef and timber producer and real estate agent, said the class “met with every public official possible” and even met with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.

�The best thing is meeting so many interesting, passionate-about-agriculture people,� added class member Dean Nelson of Bellville. �And I�ve seen how others do things, such as the packaging of grapefruit we saw in the Valley; and that kind of information I can use.�

Nelson said he does a lot of packaging at his Central Texas plant food business. “I grew up farming and ranching, yet it’s been amazing to see what all we have here in Texas ... just the weather diversity! We (the class) were in the Valley two months ago and they were growing corn” which was about chest-high he indicated with a gesture.

Class members are educated during the TALL program, and in turn, the class members educate the public, and with intentions to do so for a lifetime. “When we go back home, we share what we’ve learned,” Nelson said.

And, admittedly, each of the class members, all with some tie to agriculture, have learned a lot so far.

�It�s a combination of things� that class member Nishi Whiteley of Austin said about what she is taking with her from the TALL program. �First, the importance of understanding the depth and breadth of agriculture in the state and two, how deeply it affects our economy.�

The TALL coursework has also enlightened her on the “power for people to affect change.” She noted the saying of “united we stand, divided we fall” and related it to agriculture. “There can be separation in the ag community .... All people have to realize we’re on the same team, no matter the business. Our issues are so similar we have to stick together.

�It�s our job to not only preach to the choir, but to unify the choir; and then preach to the voting, taxpaying people who don�t know anything about what we (agriculturalists) do.� Whiteley, a business development consultant, added that informing the legislators about agriculture is also essential. �It�s important to empower them with the information for making decisions.�

With that comes the need for developing leadership skills, and that’s what TALL sets out to do. “We’ve learned a lot about how to be good leaders,” affirmed Dr. Michael Fanning, a vice president with an ag risk management firm in Mansfield. “It’s important to understand how the state and U.S. differ, as far as the ag industry, and it takes good leaders to relate what we’ve learned.”

Fanning also pointed out the numerous contacts gained from the tours, which have included the class traveling throughout Texas, as well as to Washington, D.C., and Mexico. In April, the group will tour Brazil to learn about “competition, communication, and culture.”

Dr. Charles Looney, owner of a genetics/embryo transfer company in Bryan, added, “The networking potential gained from this is great. We are meeting so many people.”

Some key ag-related issues delved into by the class include some of Texas’ chief interests – water issues and labor-immigration, Looney said. The class has toured feedlots, farms, fisheries, forests, research centers, ports, processing plants, and met with a plethora of people associated with these, and other, facilities. Presentations have included topics ranging from the legislative process to food distribution.

During their recent session in East Texas, the class toured four sites. “As a horticulturalist, I really enjoyed seeing the Rose Garden in Tyler today,” commented Richard De Los Santos, a TDA state coordinator for horticulture produce and forestry marketing. He also gained a lot from an earlier turf farm tour.” But most of all, De Los Santos said, is “the knowledge gained about interacting with people ... and knowing the future of the ag industry is in our hands.”

Most, too, come away with improved skills for dealing with challenges.

�The time factor, time commitment, is a key element,� Looney said. �We are all struggling (or involved) with our businesses, but it makes us better time-keepers or time managers ... and it�s well worth it. ... I would wholeheartedly recommend� the TALL program.

Applications for Class X will be accepted through March 15, and the class will be selected by June 9. The eight class sessions of tours and presentations (tentatively) will begin in July, and include a trip to China in April 2008.

�TALL is the best program in Texas,� noted Mazurkiewicz, �and it doesn�t need to be the best kept secret.�

For more information about TALL, including application information, visit online at http://tall.tamu.edu/.