Is it really mid-April? Looking out the kitchen window at my garden it's hard to believe May Day arrives next week. Peas and beans, usually a foot tall already, are barely breaking through the soil. My precious tomatoes from last year's seed are refusing to grow, and my pepper plants are anything but thriving. This late winter weather is really taking a toll on my summer garden plantings and gardens all over east Texas.

Mr. Billy Raibon, the reluctantly appointed President of the Landowners Assocation of Texas after our sweet Miss Fay Radford's passing last month, said his crops are about a month behind schedule. And that means incomes will be about a month behind schedule. Evidenced at tonight's Landowners' Mixer, the cold weather is definitely having an impact on our local food economy and has some of our farmers concerned. Crops that are normally about ready for harvest are no where close and our farmers markets open in less than two weeks.

By Jessica Domel

You never know what you’re going to find on the back roads of Texas. I’ve lived in this state my entire life, and every time we go on a trip, I find something new at which to marvel. Sometimes I feel like a little kid because I get so excited learning about the different foods grown in the Lone Star State.

For example, did you know there’s a business in Carrizo Springs called Dixondale Farms that grows onion plants?  Not onions, onion plants. They put the onion seed in the ground and let it mature to a certain point, and then they pull it up and send it to another state to finish off the growing process. This makes it easier for people in other states who don’t have the long growing season like we have here in Texas. How cool is that?

Read more about it by clicking here.

From The Better Business Bureau of Central East Texas:

Planning a wedding is a major emotional and financial investment, and Better Business Bureau advises brides and grooms-to-be to prepare before selecting vendors for that special day. Every year, BBB receives hundreds of complaints about wedding services and suppliers.  Typical complaints concern contract disputes and failure on the part of the vendor to provide products or even show up for the wedding.

 “Organizing a wedding involves orchestrating a symphony of vendors, and bridal expos can be a great one-stop shop to find all of the service providers you would need”, said Mechele Agbayani Mills, President and CEO of BBB Serving Central East Texas.  “There is much to consider, however, so couples should take their time and do their research before signing on the dotted line.”