LAMPASAS, Texas – On a family ranch just outside Lampasas, Clayton Tucker is surrounded by cows, goats, and the land that has been part of his family for nearly 60 years. It’s a place where the newly elected Texas agriculture commissioner feels most at home.
“This ranch has been in our family for almost six decades,” Tucker said while walking through the property and feeding his animals. But life is about to change for the 35-year-old rancher.
Tucker made political history this month, becoming the first Democrat elected to lead the Texas Department of Agriculture since 1986. While his new title may bring to mind farmers, cattle, and ranchland, the responsibilities of the office reach far beyond rural Texas.
A rancher who never planned to enter politics
Tucker describes himself as a rancher who has worked in agricultural policy, community gardening, and the farmers union. He said he never intended to run for political office.
“I never intended to do it. In many ways, I kind of got voluntold,” Tucker said. However, watching farmers struggle financially and family operations disappear convinced him to enter the race. “Just seeing what’s going on with our food system, our farm system, farmers going out of business, farmers going broke,” Tucker said.
He joked that after deciding to run, he became “the dog that caught the bumper.” Now, Tucker is preparing to lead a state agency responsible for supporting an industry he says is increasingly difficult to survive in.
Walking through his family’s roughly 300-acre ranch, Tucker pointed to the rising costs of land, equipment, diesel, and fertilizer. “As you can tell, this is not a rich man’s ranch,” he said. “I call this a working ranch, or we’re not quite broke, but we’re close. But that’s how most ranchers are.”
Tucker noted that the cost of entering agriculture has become so expensive that he doubts he could afford to become a rancher today if he had not grown up in a family already involved in the industry. He also described the financial uncertainty farmers face when severe weather can destroy crops or livestock. “You could do everything right. And then one bad storm wipes you out for the entire year,” Tucker said. He believes these challenges contribute to younger generations walking away from farming and ranching.
What his plans mean for South Texas farmers and ranchers
For farmers and ranchers in communities such as Uvalde, Poth, Floresville, and La Vernia, drought, rising operating costs, and threats to agricultural land remain major concerns. Tucker said protecting family operations will be a priority.
One of his proposals involves working with state lawmakers on a supplemental Texas farm bill that could provide additional agricultural assistance. He also aims for Congress to approve a new federal farm bill. “We’ll be working with Congress to get a new farm bill passed. We have to,” Tucker emphasized. “That is the single greatest thing you can do for farmers right now.”
Tucker mentioned that a state-level proposal could potentially provide additional funding for farmers while also supporting food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). However, such a proposal would require legislative approval and funding.
He also wants to make it easier for farmers to sell products locally by reviewing regulations he believes create unnecessary barriers for smaller agricultural operations, specifically mentioning rules surrounding egg grading and advocating for more locally produced eggs to be sold with appropriate labeling. Additionally, he seeks stronger standards for food labels, including claims such as “pasture raised” and “antibiotic free.”
A push for free school meals in Texas
One of Tucker’s priorities extends beyond cattle or ranchland. The Texas Department of Agriculture administers federal school nutrition programs, making the commissioner a key player in discussions about student hunger, an issue affecting families in San Antonio where changes to school meal programs have raised concerns about access to free breakfast and lunch for thousands of students.
Tucker, who previously worked as a teacher, believes every child should have access to nutritious meals without having to pay. “Every kid should have food, whole food, organic food, and it shouldn’t cost them anything,” he asserted. “We shouldn’t be charging them or forcing them to eat ham and cheese sandwiches. School meals should be free.”
He also wants schools to incorporate community gardens, allowing students to learn how to grow food and share those skills with their families. Tucker described his experience helping establish a community gardening program in Killeen that worked with students experiencing behavioral and academic challenges. He observed marked improvements among students who participated.
Beyond expanding access to meals, Tucker aims to ensure more food served in Texas public schools comes from Texas farmers and ranchers. He believes that sourcing locally produced food could bolster the state’s agricultural economy while providing students with fresher ingredients. However, expanding free school meals statewide would necessitate additional funding and cooperation from lawmakers. Tucker acknowledged that much of the funding would need to come from state or federal sources. “We’ll be working up there with the farm bill and the USDA for more funding from them because in our country, in our state, no kid should be hungry,” he stated.
Why Tucker believes grocery prices are too high
Rising grocery costs are another issue Tucker aims to tackle. He pointed out that both farmers and consumers are facing financial struggles, even as food prices remain high. “Buying a pound of beef shouldn’t force you to go broke,” Tucker said, attributing the issue to what he describes as excessive corporate concentration in the food and agricultural industries.
Using an hourglass analogy, Tucker explained the dynamics: farmers and ranchers at one end, consumers at the other, with a small number of large companies controlling much of the processing and distribution in between. He contended that this concentration gives large corporations undue influence over the prices farmers receive and consumers pay.
Tucker expressed his intention to collaborate with the Texas attorney general to challenge what he believes are anticompetitive practices. He supports expanding locally owned processing facilities and agricultural cooperatives. “If we can break those guys up and make our food truly local again and produced and processed locally, particularly by co-ops, that will make food affordable and actually safer,” he stated. His criticism of large agricultural companies reflects a broader belief that the current system disadvantages smaller producers. “With a system rigged like this, you can’t win,” he concluded.
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