Attractions
Better Places for Bluebonnet Pics
By Mandi Dietz
Spring season is upon us and soon our state flower will make its big, annual entrance and briefly beautify roadsides, causing adults to scramble for their camera and find a safe place to stop with the kids before the spectacular blue blooms disappear again. In lieu of highways and highly traveled streets, there’re alternatives for great family pictures with the symbolic and rarely seen bluebonnet.
For a handful of weeks March through April, grand patches of bright blue blanket North Texas, mostly along thoroughfares where they’re intentionally planted thanks to the wife of United States President, Lyndon B. Johnson, “Lady Bird,” and her support of the national Highway Beautification Act.
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope,” Lady Bird said.
The Johnsons were both Texas natives.
At first appearance, it’s an exciting feeling, a sign that spring is here and summer is near, and they’re definitely pleasing to the eyes, considering the dreary look of winter left behind. Blue is also a special natural color. The shade is spotted almost daily in the sky, lakes, rivers and tributaries. But the allure of bold blue wildflower patches within reach, especially since they’re only temporary, are more than welcoming. Much of the countryside offers an array of bright hues, such as green nearly all year, red and golden yellow and orange in the fall and a little white in the winter. Similar to the changing of leaves and surprising snow, a sporadic splash of blue is unique and refreshing.
Some call the bluebonnet a “buffalo clover” or “wolf flower”, and the bluebonnet’s name stems from a resemblance of its petal shape to the pioneer woman’s sunhat, like the one worn by Holly Hobbie, a popular 1970s doll.
To read more pick up a copy of the March 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
On The Road With Dave Alexander
Rarely will you find an event center that includes a music venue, a steakhouse and a wildlife refuge all rolled into one.
Oak Meadow Ranch has been welcoming guests for over two decades with one thing in mind, your complete happy experience.
The Chef Dinner and Exotic Animal Experience includes a four-course meal followed by a hands-on experience with exotic animals.
You can catch up with Dave at the Birthplace of Western Swing Festival in Fort Worth, Texas on November 7, or at the Irving Symphony Orchestra in Irving, Texas on November 9. To read more about his experience at Oak Meadow Ranch, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print.
To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Lindsey Monk
On Aug. 22, 2024 at 11:40 p.m., the Remington fire jumped the line in Wyoming to burn towards Montana at a high rate of speed. The fire burned 194,459 acres and over 41 miles from one end to the other in a span of two days. Livestock producers will be feeling the effects for years to come.
Pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Hannah Claxton | Editor
The GO TEXAN program is a Texas Department of Agriculture initiative dedicated to showcasing and supporting Texas based busi- nesses. During the State Fair of Texas, held in Dallas each year, the program puts together the GO TEXAN pavilion. Within the pavilion, presented by Southwest Dairy Farmers, visitors have the opportunity to sample and shop Texas-based products, learn more about agriculture and participate in family-friendly activities.
In 2023, more than $1 million in revenue was generated across nearly 67,000 products sold. Businesses with products produced or processed in Texas are invited to apply to join the program, and can visit http:// www.gotexan.org/JOIN to apply.
When visiting the State Fair of Texas, make sure to visit the GO TEXAN pavilion to support businesses driving agricultural commerce and explore Texas agricultural commodities outside of North Texas.
The State Fair of Texas is held each year in the fall, and is considered to be the first of the “majors” shows for many students involved in showing livestock. Cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, and even llamas all have a class to enter at the fair.
For those not showing livestock, over a hundred creative arts classes are available to enter. Canned goods, photography, quilts, paintings, and butter sculptures are all displayed throughout the fair’s duration. Another contest judges a variety of antique collections and keeps them on display throughout the duration of the fair.
It’s not the State Fair of Texas without world-renowned food. The Big Tex Choice Awards contest has solidified the State Fair of Texas as the top Fair for great food creations. Each year, State Fair concessionaires fry up tasty and unique foods for a chance to become a finalist in the annual Big Tex Choice Awards competition.
The 2024 Finalists in the Savory category are: Dominican Fritura Dog (by Justin Martinez), The Drowning Taquitos (by Tony & Terry Bednar), Hippie Chips (by Rose and Tom Deschenes), Hot Chick-In- Pancake Poppers (by Palmer and Amanda Fortune), Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs (by Nick and Vera Burt).
In the Sweet category, the 2024 Finalists are: Nevins Nutty Bar- Laska (by Tami Nevins Mayes & Josie Mayes), Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon On A Stick (by Isaac Rousso), Strawberry Pop-Tarts Beignettfle (by Justin Martinez), Texas Sugar Rush Pickles (by Heather Perkins), and Tropical Two-Step Punch (by Binh Tran).
Livestock & contests schedule of events is available in the September issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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