See also: Texas Food Festivals

TEXAS FOOD TRIVIA and FACTS

FARMS & FARMERS
Texas: approximate land area of 167,145,209 acres.
Farmland is 130,398,753 acres or 78.0% of total land.
Organic agriculture accounts for about 450,706 acres.
Number of Farms: 247,437
Principle Farm Operators:
Men: 212,426
Women: 35,011
(2013 - USDA Economic Research Service: www.ers.usda.gov )
[2007-2008 latest available data]

POPULATION & HUNGER
Texas has a total population of: 25,674,681
Urban population: 22,599,302 Rural population: 3,075,379 Food insecure households*: 18.5%
Households with very low food security*: 6.5%
*Food insecurity - Limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
Very low food security - At times during the year, eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake reduced because the household lacked money and other resources for food.
(2013 - USDA Economic Research Service: www.ers.usda.gov )
(Population & Food Security data: 2011)

Texas ranks 6th in U.S. rice production, growing about 5.3% of the U.S. rice crop on 145,000 acres. Texas production is 98% long grain rice, and about 2% medium grain rice. Commercial rice production in Texas began in earnest in the 1880s.

There were 381 tortilla manufacturing establishments in the U.S. in 2007, 1/3 of them in Texas. (US Census Bureau, 2010)

Total production of cattle and calves in Texas was 6.5 billion pounds in 2008. (US Census Bureau, 2010)

Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas in 1885.

Texas' cattle population is estimated to be over 11 million. (USDA Jan, 2013)

More land is farmed in Texas than in any other state.

The American Airlines Sports Center in Dallas, Texas, has the most toilets per capita of any sports and entertainment venue in the U.S.

TEXAS ‘CAPITALS’
• Denison is the Wine Root Stock Capital of the World
• Elgin is the official Sausage Capital of Texas.
• Friona is the official Cheeseburger Capital of Texas.
• Hawkins is the official Pancake Capital of Texas.
• Knox City is the Seedless Watermelon Capital of Texas.
• Lockhart is the official Barbecue Capital of Texas.
• Madisonville is the official Mushroom Capital of Texas.
• Mauriceville is the official Crawfish Capital of Texas.
• Parker County is the official Peach Capital of Texas.
• Weslaco is the official Citrus Capital of Texas.
• West Tawakoni is the official Catfish Capital of Texas.

STATE SYMBOLS
• In 2011
· The Texas Bison Herd at Caprock State Park was designated the Official State Bison Herd.
· The Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) was designated the Official State Saltwater Fish.

• In 2005
   · Texas designated the Chuck Wagon as the Official State Vehicle
   · the Cast Iron Dutch Oven was designated the Official State Cooking Implement.
   · Texas Purple Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) was adopted as the Official State Native Shrub. (Native Americans brewed a pleasant herbal tea from Texas purple sage and used it to treat chills and fever; the shrub also provides forage for cattle, etc.)
   · Pan de Campo ( aka. Cowboy Bread) was adopted as the Official State Bread.

• In 2003
· Tortilla Chips & Salsa were named the Official State Snack.
· On June 22, 2003 the Sopaipilla and Strudel were named the Official State Pastries until January 31, 2005 when the designation expired.

• In 2001 the Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) was named the Official State Health Nut.

• In 1997
· the Texas Sweet Onion was named Official State Vegetable
· the Chiltepin was named the Official State Native Pepper.

• In 1995
   · the Longhorn (Bos taurus) was designated the Official Large State Mammal.
   · the edible Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia spp.) was named the Official State Plant.
   · the Armadillo (Family: Dasypodidae) was named the Official Small State Mammal.
   · the Jalapeno was named the Official State Pepper.

• In 1993 the Texas Red Grapefruit (Citrus X paradisi) was designated the Official State Fruit.

• In 1989 the Guadalupe Bass (Micropterus treculi) was named the Official State Fish.

• In 1977 Chili as the Official State Dish.

• In 1971 Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) was named Official State Grass.

• In 1969 the Texas Parks and Wildlife's Foundation Herd was designated the Official State Longhorn Herd.

• In 1919 Texas adopted the Pecan Tree (Carya illinoinensis) as the Official State Tree.

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