By Jessica Domel

Today, after eight hours on the road, staring at the beautiful countryside of Texas through my windshield, I came to the conclusion that Texas may be the Lone Star State, but there’s nothing “lone” about anything we do.

I drove from Waco, through Austin, Seguin, San Antonio, George West and all the way down to Pharr, where I am currently preparing to capture the ongoing grapefruit harvest. There are a wide array of culinary favorites represented along the way—whether it be chicken fried steak, fajitas, chili, barbecue, pie or something fried on a stick.

In the few months that I’ve been at Texas Farm Bureau, traveling the roads of rural Texas, we’ve eaten Czech kolaches, the best barbecue in the state, giant burgers, fresh seafood, wonderful Chinese food and everything in between. Texas truly is a culinary and a cultural smorgasbord.

How wonderful it is that we have all of these amazing culinary options open to please our tastebuds! One of the best parts I’ve found is being able to sit down in a place and learn a little bit about the community while you’re eating.

The other day at a farmers’ appreciation chili supper, I overheard a great “horse versus all-terrain vehicle” debate. I’m still not sure who won that one, but it was interesting to hear how both men used their choice (horse or ATV) to round up the cattle.

I’ve found that some of the best conversations I’ve been a part of or overheard have taken place over the dinner table—and how lucky we are to have such a wide array of food to grace our tables!

So whether you’re dining in Austin, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, El Paso or anywhere in-between today, take a moment to think about how blessed we are to live in a state with such diversification and rich history. We can sit down at a table in almost any city and have the opportunity to not only dine on something delicious, but also to learn a little bit about one another.