Attractions
Growing Produce the Holley Way
By Jessica Crabtree
The days are longer and much warmer. We are making plans for a summer vacation or weekend get-a-way to enjoy nature and have fun in the sun. If you are a fruit and veggie lover, you know summer means fresh produce. Most grew up with a family garden. Although work, the garden produced succulent yields of cucumber, okra, squash and even watermelon. Hot summer days were made sweeter with just the taste of a ripe melon. Whether it was a meal made fresh with your day’s bounty or the benefit of canning and preserving your abundance, a garden with fresh vegetables is gratifying, healthy and a wholesome entity all the way around.
In Krum, Texas, there is a father-son duo resurrecting the once sought after produce stand. For the last four years the two have worked side by side to cultivate and produce rows and rows of veggies to sell to the public. In an age where consumers are more aware of their food items, naturally grown produce offers a great relief from preserved canned food.
Holley and his son Taylor plan for produce to be ready at the end of May. Having five locations this year, demand is on the rise. “My first year I was just gardening and a buddy came to visit and told me my garden looked better than his. At that point I didn’t even use a tiller, just a hoe. He had been asked by the city of Roanoke to host a farmer’s market. When produce ran thin he wanted to include mine.” That was the Holley’s initial start in the produce business.
Living two miles west of Krum on his family’s land, Holley and his son progressively planted more and more. With three children in or heading into college, the produce stand offered a supplement to his income as well as gave his son and a few friends extra spending money. “Taylor was 16 when we began traveling to Thackerville, Okla., to get watermelons. We can’t grow them here due to the lack of sand. Each year Taylor learned from his experiences,” Holley explained. Now 20, Taylor has the heart of a young entrepreneur. A finance major, the young man hopes to one day operate produce stands full-time and use his finance degree to help navigate the business portion. Holley is thrilled at his son’s aspirations and proud of his interest in the business and frugal business mind.
To read more pick up a copy of the June 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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