Diana Padilla has spent a decade teaching Rio Grande Valley residents how to farm and was set to expand across the rest of the state, first in Kaufman County.
The three-term incumbent is effectively the underdog in the primary race for his own seat, lagging in fundraising and under attack by members of his own party.
The Trump administration says it won't use a roughly $5 billion contingency fund to keep food aid flowing in November amid the government shutdown.
The federal agency accused Miller of disregarding proven strategies to combat the parasitic pest “in favor of clickbait publicity stunts.”
In May 2023, Miller wrote a letter urging university leaders to reconsider admitting a student whom he described as a “biracial Latina,” who was also the daughter of his political associate.
Todd Smith was Miller’s longtime political consultant when he admitted to soliciting bribes for licenses the agency typically issues for $100. Miller then put him on the payroll at $218,000 per year.
Mounted patrol officers, known as tick riders, who typically patrol the southern border to protect cattle from fever tick, will also now serve as the first line of defense against screwworm.
Miller denies wrongdoing after allegations surfaced during an investigation into one of his aides, who pled guilty to bribery. The agriculture commissioner has not been charged with a crime.
State chapters of the nonprofit group that provide meals to seniors are waiting to hear from Washington how much of a hit their battered budgets will take.
A day after legislation was announced by Congressman Al Green that would bring back federal funding to replace stolen SNAP benefits, elected leaders are already chiming in.
San Miguel Electric Cooperative's plan to turn into a solar and battery plant will leave only 14 coal-fired power plants in the state.
Todd Smith was indicted in 2022 on felony charges of theft and commercial bribery related to taking money in exchange for hemp licenses that are issued by Miller’s office.
Federal officials said the nation’s milk supply should be not at risk after a bird flu outbreak hits dairies in Texas, New Mexico and Kansas.
Texas wildfires have consumed acres of agricultural land, killing thousands of livestock, destroying crops and exacerbating challenges lingering from last year’s drought.
The USDA estimates the families of 3.8 million children could have received $120 per child to cover summer lunches if the state participated in the new $2.5 billion program launching this summer. Texas is one of 15 states opting out.
The policy comes as LGBTQ advocates are fighting a wave of hostile legislation at the Capitol, including proposals to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender children.
The department’s helpline is less than a year old. But advocates hope state lawmakers fully fund it as farmers and ranchers continue to face hard economic times and isolation.
A new Texas Department of Agriculture report also points to other factors that are making it harder for Texans to access and afford food, including wages falling behind rising costs of living.
Securing a third term with strong support across rural Texas, the Republican pledged to expand medical use of cannabis and funding for rural health care.
The state’s agriculture commissioner oversees a vast portfolio including farming and ranching, rural health care and the scales you use at grocery store checkout.
Witnesses say Kim Olson pushed the party’s top staffer during a bus tour in 2018. Olson denies the allegation.
The incumbent avoided a runoff. State Rep. James White had tried to unseat Miller with criticisms centered on controversies under Miller’s leadership.
Miller’s top challenger is state Rep. James White, a Hillister rancher, who is running a hard-charging campaign calling out the incumbent for creating a scandal-prone culture at the commission.
Sid Miller is challenging a debt relief program that the U.S. Department of Agriculture saw as a way to correct historic discrimination. An advocate for Black Texas farmers says the challenge “pushes us back even further.”
Attorneys for Smith said he has not broken any laws. Miller, who is seeking reelection and facing a competitive primary, said Tuesday evening he's "not ready to throw [Smith] under the bus" and believes the indictment was politically motivated.
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When scientists destroyed the first nest of so-called murder hornets found in the U.S. recently, they discovered about 500 live specimens inside in various stages of development. The first murder hornets nest — found in a tree and destroyed in late October in Whatcom County along the Canadian border — was about the size of a basketball. It was located after state scientists trapped several hornets and attached radio trackers to some of them using dental floss. —76 queens, nearly all of them new virgin queens. Murder hornets also have been found in British Columbia, Canada.
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Pilgrim's Pride is recalling about 59,800 pound of chicken breast nuggets because they may be "contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically flexible rubber material," officials said.The Department of Agriculture announced the recall Sunday. The product being recalled:4-lb. The statement says there has not been a confirmed report of any health reaction. Where was it distributed: To retailers in Arizona, Idaho, Oregon, and Texas. What consumers should do: Please throw away the producers or return them where you bought them.
Texans are prepared for a warm summer ahead, but mosquitoes won’t be the only pests invading patios and backyards this year.
This panel features state officials and a former U.S. agriculture secretary talking about the state of agriculture in 2020 and beyond.
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