May 9 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Our amazing craft team is at it again. Join them for a great time and make something for your mom. The flier looks awesome, Leslie Thibodeaux. Thank you so much!
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Aquatic Vegetation Herbicide Selection, Application Webinar Set for May 19
AgriLife Extension program to focus on product selection, use for plant species management in ponds
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present a webinar, “Aquatic Vegetation Herbicides and Application,” on May 19 from 6-7:30 p.m. The event is a component of the agency’s AquaExtension programming.
The cost is $35, and registration is required at tx.ag/AquaticHerbicides. Following registration, an email will be sent with instructions to access the webinar. All registrants will receive a link to the recorded webinar, available for one month, even if they cannot attend live.
One general Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education unit is available for pesticide applicator license holders who attend.
The event’s speaker is Brittany Chesser, AgriLife Extension aquatic vegetation program specialist and lead diagnostic scientist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Aquatic Diagnostics Laboratory, Bryan-College Station.
Given the many herbicide options available on the market, it is often difficult for pond owners to select the correct product for particular plant species, Chesser said.
This webinar will provide participants with the knowledge needed to correctly select and apply the best herbicide for specific plant species and pond use.
Webinar to focus on selection and application
The webinar will cover:
- The 15 approved aquatic herbicides available on the market.
- Herbicide-use restrictions and other considerations.
- The difference between systemic and contact herbicides, as well as when to use each type.
- Application techniques and timing for nuisance aquatic vegetation control.
“This webinar will help sharpen your aquatic applicator knowledge, saving time, money and labor by ensuring the right herbicide is selected and applied correctly for the situation,” she said.
A 30-minute Q&A session will conclude the webinar.
Webinar package available for 2026
This webinar is supported by Alligare, one of America’s largest herbicide companies, and is part of a 10-month expert series that provides pond owners and managers with up-to-date, scientific information related to maintaining pond health and productivity.
A 2026 Aquatic Webinar Series Bundle is available for $280 for individuals who would like to register for all webinars throughout the year. The bundle also includes recordings of the previous 2026 webinars. Purchase the webinar bundle at tx.ag/WebinarBundle26.
For more information, contact Chesser at brittany.chesser@ag.tamu.edu.
Alive After Five (Nacogdoches County)
May 21 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Join us for an evening of professional networking and community connection at Alive After Five, hosted by Motorhomes of Texas.
Since 2003, Motorhomes of Texas has served as a premier luxury motorhome dealership in Nacogdoches, specializing in high-quality pre-owned coaches and expert service. We are proud to highlight their commitment to integrity, customer service, and long-term relationships within our local business community.
Free to all to attend and celebrate, it provides an excellent opportunity to expand your local network, connect with fellow professionals, and celebrate the success of our local business partners.
Guests can enjoy beverages from The Mad Hatter Distillery, Sage’s Vintage, Miller Lite, and Coors Light. Snacks will be provided by Roma’s Italian Kitchen and Chili’s, with desserts from Stone House Kitchen.
Event Highlights
Live music
Professional photo booth
Door prizes and giveaways
Chamber Member Cash Giveaway — now at $1,000 (must be present to win)
We look forward to an evening of quality conversation, community celebration, and meaningful connections. We’ll see you there!
Related Events
Cheers with The Chamber (Angelina County)
May 19 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Wrap up your day with us at Cheers with the Chamber on Tuesday, May 19, from 5:30 to 7 PM. Hosted by East Texas Food Bank, this after-hours event is all about relaxed networking, great conversations, and connecting with fellow Chamber Investors in a welcoming space.
Come enjoy the evening, make a few new connections, and spend time with the people who help keep our business community strong.
We’ll see you at 105 Lofton St. in Lufkin!
Drug-Free All Star Banquet
The Drug-Free All Stars of Angelina County, funded by a grant from TxDOT, are a group of high school seniors that serve as role models for the community by living an alcohol, tobacco, and drug-free life. Recently, students were honored for their hard work at the annual Drug-Free All Star Banquet, and the students with the most volunteer hours at each high school were recognized. Throughout this school year, the All Stars volunteered their time at local events throughout Angelina County and helped spread awareness about drug and alcohol prevention. Thank you to Justin Holland, a Recovery Support Peer Specialist at the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Council for talking to the All Stars about maintaining their substance-free lifestyle and continuing the good choices they have made this year. Collectively, this group of motivated students volunteered over 1,750 hours this year and worked hard to promote a healthy, substance-free lifestyle on behalf of The Coalition. If you are a current high school junior and interested in the Drug-Free All Star program, please visit https://www.angelinacoalition.org/youth to download an application. Paper copies can be picked up at The Coalition’s office at 1320 S. John Reddit Drive, Suite C or at any Angelina County high school. The deadline for applications is Sunday, May 31st.
Since 1988, The Coalition has focused on eliminating the use of harmful substances by affecting public policy, laws, attitudes, and behaviors, in order to foster healthy life-long choices for the local community. For more information about Drug-Free All Star program, contact Abby Baker at The Coalition at 936-634-9308.
Blooms But No Fruit?
It’s one of the most common questions gardeners ask this time of year.
“My vegetable garden looks great. The plants are healthy. They’re blooming everywhere. But I’m not getting any vegetables.”
Usually, people immediately assume something is wrong. They blame disease, drought stress, poor seed, bad transplants, or fertilizer problems. Some decide they simply need to fertilize more.
But in many cases, the real issue is much simpler.
Poor pollination.
Before we get into the crops that require pollination, let’s clarify something important. Not every garden plant depends on pollination for the part we eat.
Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and cabbage do not require pollination for harvest. Neither do underground crops such as potatoes, onions, carrots, radishes, or turnips. In those cases, the leaf, stem, bulb, or root is what we eat—not the fruit produced after pollination.
But once we start talking about tomatoes, peppers, okra, corn, beans, cucumbers, watermelons, and cantaloupes, pollination becomes critically important.
And different vegetables are pollinated in very different ways.
Tomatoes are mostly self-pollinated, but they still need help. The pollen must be shaken loose inside the flower, which is why vibration matters. Bumblebees are excellent tomato pollinators because they “buzz pollinate” by vibrating the flower. Wind movement can help too. Surprisingly, honeybees are not especially effective on tomatoes because the pollen is held tightly inside the bloom.
Peppers are similar to tomatoes. Bumblebees and other native bees are quite helpful as their physical buzzing helps. Honeybees can help somewhat, but larger native bees and bumblebees are much more effective at shaking pollen loose inside the flower.
Okra depends much more heavily on insects. Its flowers resemble hibiscus blooms and attract honeybees, bumblebees, and many native bees. Without insect activity, production drops quickly.
Sweet corn is completely different. Corn relies almost entirely on wind pollination. Pollen falls from the tassels at the top of the plant down onto the silks developing on the ears. If pollination is poor, you’ll see ears with missing kernels or poorly filled-out tips.
Beans, including snap beans and lima beans, are mostly self-pollinated. In many cases, pollination happens before the flowers even open. However, bee activity can still improve production.
Then there are cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupes, squash, and pumpkins. These crops are highly dependent on bees and other pollinating insects. Honeybees, bumblebees, squash bees, and many native pollinators play a major role in getting fruit to develop properly.
Poor pollination in these crops often leads to misshapen fruit, small fruit that aborts early, or blooms that simply fall off without producing anything.
Unfortunately, many gardeners unknowingly reduce pollinator activity around their own gardens.
Spraying insecticides during the daytime when bees are active can reduce pollination dramatically. Even organic products can harm pollinators if applied improperly. An organic insecticide is still an insecticide. A better approach is to spray only when absolutely necessary and apply products late in the evening when bees are less active.
Plant diversity also matters. Gardens surrounded by flowering plants tend to attract and hold more pollinators than gardens sitting alone in closely mowed turfgrass.
And sometimes, the solution is simply patience.
Extremely hot weather, excessive rainfall, cloudy conditions, or unusually cool nights can temporarily reduce pollinator activity and fruit set even when plants appear perfectly healthy.
The next time your garden is full of blooms but short on vegetables, don’t immediately assume the plants are failing.
Sometimes the problem isn’t the plant at all. It’s that the pollinators never had a chance to do their job.
Healthy gardens depend on healthy pollinator activity. And sometimes the best thing a gardener can do is simply avoid getting in their way.
Texas Fruit Production Down Due to Low Chill Hours
Texas Crop and Weather Report
The combination of a late freeze and a lack of chill hours will likely lead to reduced fruit yields across the state, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
Tim Hartmann, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide fruit specialist and assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Horticultural Sciences, has been connecting with fruit producers and tracking reported chill hours. He emphasized the importance of favorable weather conditions for fruit production.
Temperate fruit crops like peaches, apples, blackberries and blueberries require exposure to cool conditions, causing the plants to go dormant and enabling them to survive the winter weather.
Chill hours issues
Chilling refers to the exposure of plants to this cool weather to overcome dormancy requirements. While there are many models to quantify chilling, the simplest is chill hours, defined as the number of hours in which temperatures remain below 45 degrees during winter.
The chill hours required for each fruit and variety vary; peaches in South Texas may require as few as 200 hours, while another peach variety grown along the Red River may need over 1,000 hours for a good fruit set, Hartmann said.
Improper exposure to cooler weather leads to delayed and sporadic bud break, weak vegetative growth, poor fruit set and abnormal fruit development, ultimately resulting in reduced or, in some cases, zero yield.
Hartmann equated the importance of adequate chill hours to waking up after a night of poor rest.
“If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re likely to oversleep and will not function at your highest capacity,” he said. “In the same way, trees that don’t reach the required chill hours will bud late and not be productive.”
Adverse weather reduces output
Across the state, Hartmann said the reported chill hours were well below average. Other adverse weather presented additional challenges for fruit producers.
Other factors like exceptionally warm weather between colder spells, retention of foliage late into the winter, and arid conditions in the fall also likely had a negative impact on fruit crop potential. A late frost that occurred in many regions across the state damaged flowers and young fruit, especially on crops like blueberries and early blooming, low-chill varieties of peaches.
Those issues led Hartmann to expect lower yields for most fruits.
“We will likely see a reduced crop for peaches, blueberries, apples and blackberries,” he said. “Asian persimmons, which require less chilling and tend to bloom later than many other fruit crops, survived the late frost and should have better yields.”
Peaches and apples suffered primarily from a lack of chill hours and frost in March.
Blueberry producers in Southeast Texas saw a hard freeze in late January, but have already begun their harvest and still have a decent crop. However, producers farther north are reporting heavy losses. Some reported 100% crop losses, especially where there was no protection against the frost in March.
Blackberries, a crop that blooms later, did not suffer significant frost damage. However, inadequate chill hours along the Gulf Coast and throughout Central Texas left producers with lighter fruit loads compared to growers in North Texas, reported Jacy Lewis, manager of the AgriLife Extension Viticulture and Fruit Lab in Fredericksburg, and Stephen Janak, AgriLife Extension program specialist, Hallettsville, both in the Department of Horticultural Sciences.
Strategies that support growers
Despite setbacks, Hartmann noted several management strategies producers employed to boost production.
Most fruit producers combat drought with some form of irrigation. Some growers utilize overhead irrigation, which can keep buds and flowers above a given critical temperature through heat generated by the continuous freezing of liquid water to ice, protecting buds from frost damage. Wind machines and other measures can also be employed during frost events associated with calm, clear conditions.
Some peach producers also use a chemical growth regulator to mimic the effect of chill hours.
“Hydrogen cyanamide can have the effect of supplementing some of the chill hours that the buds need to develop fruit and set a good crop,” Hartmann said.
Hartmann, however, said these products are not silver bullets. They can be difficult to obtain and apply during the growing season and are not effective for all crops or even specific varieties. They can also cause trees to bloom early, making them more susceptible to frost injury.
Growers in every region of the state employ different strategies to limit the impacts of adverse weather, but Hartmann said the best way to promote higher yields is to plant fruit varieties best adapted to their location.
“It’s very important to choose varieties that have a chilling requirement as close to what you’d typically expect to receive in your given region,” he said. “Some growers also diversify their varieties based on chill hours in the hopes of avoiding complete losses, but the closer you stay to your average expected chilling accumulation, the better your chances are of making a crop.”
To help growers across the state select the ideal crop and variety, Aggie Horticulture’s Fruit and Nut Fact Sheets provide the required chill hours for crops ranging from peaches to jujubes.
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:
Panhandle
The district continued to experience extreme drought conditions with no rainfall, and overall soil moisture levels were very short to short. Pastures were in bad shape. Winter wheat, range and pasture conditions were very poor to poor. Grazing conditions were strained due to drought. Wheat harvest for silage purposes from irrigated wheat fields continued. Cotton and peanut producers were prewatering to work fields. A few growers planted their first acres of cotton while most waited for soil temperatures to warm. Final preplant tillage was underway in random fields scattered across the district.
South Plains
Subsoil and topsoil moisture levels remained short and conditions were windy. Some areas receive trace amounts of rainfall to 0.75 of an inch. April temperatures were higher than historic averages. Range and pasture conditions reflected drought, and grazing was limited, but cattle were in good condition. Producers were preparing for planting.
Rolling Plains
The district experienced heavy rainfall in southern counties, with hail and tornadoes in several areas. Some areas saw a slight improvement in topsoil moisture. Rainfall failed to materialize across northern counties, leaving conditions critically dry. Strong winds were causing pastures to dry up and early crops were dying off. Range and pasture conditions reflected persistent drought, and many cattle pastures were running low on forage, raising concerns about potential cow culling. Land preparation for warm-season crops continued, but more rain was needed to support crops. Wheat conditions varied across the district, and stock tanks were drying up, impacting livestock and wildlife.
North
Cooler conditions warmed up nicely toward the end of the week, creating prime growing conditions. Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels were short to adequate. Corn was coming along nicely and soybeans looked excellent. Wheat and oats were maturing through the dough stages, with some lodging occurring due to recent storms and wind. Reports of wheat stripe rust, leaf rust, powdery mildew and barley yellow dwarf were noted but only in parts of fields. Pastures and livestock were in good to excellent condition. Rangeland and pasture growth continued to benefit from recent moisture. Ryegrass and some early Bermuda grass hay harvesting was expected to begin soon. Grazing conditions were strong as livestock remained in good condition.
East
The district received a good amount of rain, with some areas reporting up to 4 inches. Despite the rainfall, some counties were still in drought. Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels were adequate. Growing conditions improved, but some producers had to wait for fields to dry before spraying weeds or spreading fertilizer. Pasture and rangeland conditions were fair to good, and pastures were greening up with the added moisture. Livestock were in fair to good condition with some supplementation still taking place. Cattle markets remained strong with overall higher prices. Producers continued to manage weed pressure, and hay cutting started in some areas. Ponds were slowly filling and improving water availability for livestock. Feral hogs and gophers continued to damage pastures and croplands across the district.
Far West
District conditions improved as cooler temperatures, increased cloud cover and periodic rainfall provided short‑term relief to soil moisture and reduced heat stress on crops. Soil moisture ranged from adequate to surplus in some areas, while others remained very short to short. Rainfall supported early crop development and pasture green‑up, though persistent winds of 10-20 mph with stronger gusts continued to elevate fire concerns and limit moisture retention. Field activities progressed as conditions allowed, with early harvesting beginning and planting continuing. Cotton planting was underway, with much of the Pima cotton emerged and some upland cotton planted. Pecan orchards received their second irrigation, and alfalfa fields showed mixed results due to poor‑quality water. Melon planting concluded. Corn was fully planted and emerged in some counties, and sorghum planting and emergence were progressing. Most wheat and oats were cut for hay, and what was left was mostly headed, with conditions ranging from poor to fair. Pasture conditions improved with recent rainfall, though forage remained limited and supplemental feeding continued. Livestock conditions ranged from fair to good. Feral hog activity increased, especially in newly planted fields. Overall, conditions improved slightly but remained dependent on continued rainfall and better water availability.
West Central
Moisture conditions remained good across some areas with additional rainfall reported during the week, but more moisture was needed. Some areas reported 1-3 inches of rainfall while others received trace amounts or nothing. More rainfall was in the forecast. Running water was improving stock tank levels. Pastures continued to grow and looked very good, and hay grazer planted before the rain emerged and was growing. Rangeland conditions improved, though overgrazed areas were slow to recover. Sudan grass fields were nearly ready to cut, Bermuda fields were a few weeks behind. Cattle looked good.
Central
Drought conditions continued to improve as light showers and scattered storms provided much‑needed relief. Benefits were mixed due to scattered rains, storm intensity and localized hail damage. Topsoil and subsoil moisture had improved but were still short to adequate. Cooler temperatures arrived. Pastures were responding well to rainfall and greening up, though cooler temperatures slowed summer grass growth. Producers were working to control weeds. Hay cutting began, and ponds were slowly filling for livestock. Grazing conditions remained good, and livestock were doing well on pasture with reduced supplemental feeding, though some herds experienced mud and storm stress. Corn looked good to excellent. Wheat continued to progress rapidly toward maturity, though yields were expected to be average to below average due to drought, Hessian fly and vernalization issues. Cotton was progressing despite cooler weather and wet soils. Winter oats were mostly grazed off. Producers were working to control early‑season insect pests. The cattle market remained strong with high prices for sellers, though purchasing replacement cattle continued to be challenging.
Southeast
Recent rainfall improved soil moisture and supported pasture and crop conditions, though moisture levels still varied widely from saturated soils to short conditions. Some areas experienced improved forage growth, better grazing and generally positive field conditions, while a few locations continued to report lingering drought conditions. Pasture and rangeland conditions were fair to good across much of the district, and livestock remained in fair to good condition with adequate forage availability. Crop conditions followed similar positive trends, with warm‑season crops and forages performing well and rice planting completed under favorable moisture conditions.
Southwest
A cold front brought more rain, providing topsoil moisture. Some areas received 1-4 inches of rain, and temperatures were in the upper 40’s overnight. Tomato and pepper harvests continued. Pecan nut casebearer presence remained low as pecan trees leafed out. Cool-season pastures were still growing, suggesting an extended growing season, which could interfere with warm-season growth. Overall, corn and sorghum conditions improved, but wheat and oat harvest was expected to be delayed due to recent rains. Corn began to silk. Range and pasture conditions continued to improve, and fertilization and weed control in pastures continued. Livestock was still under supplementation and in mostly fair condition.
Coastal Bend
Soil moisture greatly improved across much of the district following significant rainfall, with amounts ranging from 2-5 inches in most areas and some locations accumulating up to 6 inches. A few areas still reported being behind on rainfall, while fields in some areas remained slow to drain. Field conditions allowed cotton planting and cultivation to resume. All crops, including corn, grain sorghum and cotton, responded positively to the improved moisture, with early planted corn beginning to silk and rice fields flooded as planned. While all crop stands improved, there was still some variation in maturity across fields, and producers were concerned how earlier dry spells might impact final yields. Range and pasture conditions showed marked improvement, especially in well-managed or less-grazed fields. Prospects for a strong first hay harvest were good thanks to rain. Grazing conditions benefited livestock as cattle body condition continued to improve, and supplementation slowed considerably.
South
Seasonable, milder temperatures returned, and conditions improved across the district. Rainfall during April had been spotty, but 1-10 inches were received over the past two weeks in most areas. Some storms brought strong winds and tornado warnings, contributing to localized field damage and short‑term soil saturation. Soil moisture remained very short to short in many areas. More rain was forecast. Improved soil moisture reduced irrigation demand. Row crops were progressing well with recent moisture. Strawberries were still producing, though yields had decreased. Early planted corn with inconsistent stands had fully emerged and ranged from the fifth‑leaf stage to tasseling. Producers continued harvesting leafy greens, and peanut planting should begin soon. Wheat and oats were being harvested; cotton planting was complete with most fields emerged. Hay fields were nearing harvest. The onion harvest was nearly finished, and the citrus harvest had concluded. Some grain sorghum was replanted to take advantage of rainfall, and sesame planting continued. Range and pasture conditions steadily improved as grass yields increased. Grazing availability improved, and cattle producers slightly reduced supplementation. Markets continued to report low volumes with strong prices, and producers were still culling and selling calves. Feed prices remained high.
Business Development Series – “Brand Management” (Nacogdoches County)
May 14 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Think your logo is fine?
It might be… until it’s printed.
Join us for our next Business Development Meeting at the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce boardroom, where we’ll take a closer look at what really makes a logo work.
In this interactive session, we’ll break down:
• Why logos fail
• What files you actually need
• How to fix common issues
You’ll hear real examples, take part in a live session, and gain insight from a panel discussion with professionals who know what it takes to make your brand stand out in print.
Want feedback on your own logo?
Submit it before the event at: lumberjackprinting.com/audit
Send:
• Your logo files
• Screenshots
• Anything you currently use for sponsorships or print
This a great opportunity to make sure your logo is working as hard as you are.
We hope to see you there!
Register here!
Related Events
Honoring America’s Roots: Tree Planting Ceremony Set for Tuesday, May 26 in Downtown Lufkin
LUFKIN, TEXAS — As part of the America 250 Celebration, the City of Lufkin and Angelina County invite the community to attend Honoring America’s Roots, a special tree planting ceremony presented by Angelina Beautiful Clean, taking place on May 26 at 2:00 PM at 115 E Shepherd Ave in Downtown Lufkin.
This meaningful event will bring residents, families, and community partners together to commemorate 250 years of American history while looking ahead to the future. The ceremony will include the dedication of a Liberty Tree, symbolizing growth, resilience, and the lasting impact of community.
“Planting a tree is a powerful way to honor where we’ve been while investing in what’s ahead. This ceremony reflects the spirit of Lufkin, rooted in history, strengthened by community, and focused on the future.” said Tara Hendrix, Director of Tourism at Visit Lufkin.
Honoring America’s Roots is one of several events taking place throughout Lufkin as part of the America 250 Celebration. These events are designed to bring people together through shared experiences that highlight history, culture, and community pride.
The event is free and open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend.
Organizations hosting events in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary are encouraged to contact Visit Lufkin to be included in the community-wide celebration.
Media Availability:
Emily Harmon, Executive Director, Angelina Beautiful Clean at eharmon@lufkintexas.org or (409)594-2188
Tara Hendrix, Director of Tourism, Visit Lufkin at visit@cityoflufkin.com or (936)633-0359
For more information and a full list of upcoming events, visit VisitLufkin.com.
The event will take place rain or shine.
Toastmasters Informational Meeting (Angelina County)
May 12 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The Men’s Fieldhouse will be holding an informational meeting about Toastmasters on May 12, 6:00 pm at 1813 E. Denman Ave.
Toastmasters provides a structured, supportive environment where individuals build confidence in public speaking, strengthen leadership abilities, and learn to think clearly under pressure. These are skills that directly translate into improved workplace performance—whether in meetings, presentations, customer interactions, or team collaboration.
We would love to see your business invest in the professional growth of your employees by encouraging participation in Toastmasters.
Please share the attached graphic with your employees.
