Attractions
Lavender Ridge Farms – A place to stop and smell the lavender
By Jessica Crabtree
There are few places you experience that are as grand and smell as good as Lavender Ridge Farms in Gainesville, Texas. The 80-acre farm is a sight to behold. Its history is rooted four generations deep. The land has been in the Ware family 160 years and was formerly known as the Jim Ware Farm. “In the 1920s and 30s my great-grandparents farmed this land, raising strawberries and melons,” said Jane (Ware) Dane.
As children, Jane and her brother Jerry came to the farm to spend weekends. Both were raised in Fort Worth and resided there, working their corporate jobs and creating their own families. For years the property went untouched and leased out for cattle grazing. As the two siblings aged, the property became more important, “We just came to appreciate it here, and the more we came to visit, the more we didn’t want to leave and go home,” Jane said. She explained she and her brother grew less fulfilled with their cooperate lifestyle and made the leap of faith to stay on the farm. The only issue was how to make a living.
Reading one day, Jane came across an article about the lavender grown in the Hill Country of South Texas. “Right then it was like a lightening bolt hit me. I knew that was what we needed to do and to get the ball rolling,” Jane elaborated. Lavender was a fit not only for the North Texas area, but her brother Jerry, who has a degree in horticulture. Jerry made the move in 2004, Jane in 2005. The siblings, along with their father, James Ware, planted their first lavender plants in 2005 and officially opened for business in 2006 as the “cutting of your own lavender” commenced. “It still blows me away that we’ve done a lot and come so far,” she admitted. However, Jane was quick to add it wasn’t always easy and they had their share of set-backs. That included a hail storm that blew through in April of 2006 and a flood the following year, rendering some plants to be replanted.
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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