Tom Sell Brings Washington Agriculture Experience Back To Lubbock Luncheon
You don't have to drive very far outside Lubbock to be reminded just how important agriculture is around here.
Cotton fields, cattle, tractors and the occasional farm truck that lumbers by.
That West Texas agricultural industry will take center stage when the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce holds its annual Harvest Luncheon on Thursday, October 15th, featuring a speaker with some pretty deep South Plains roots.
Tom Sell Will Headline This Year's Harvest Luncheon
The luncheon, presented by FiberMax-BASF, will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Learning Center.
This year's featured speaker is Tom Sell, a fifth-generation West Texan, Texas Tech graduate, small business owner and longtime advocate for agriculture.
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“Agriculture is the backbone of this community,” FiberMax-BASF's Kerry King said in announcing the event, adding that gatherings like the Harvest Luncheon are important for both education and fellowship.
It's difficult to argue with that first part. Agriculture isn't simply something that happens around Lubbock. It's a huge part of what built this region and continues to drive our economy.
From Texas Tech to Washington and Back to Lubbock
Sell earned both a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness and a law degree from Texas Tech University before beginning a career focused heavily on agricultural policy.
He went to work for former Congressman Larry Combest, who represented Texas' 19th Congressional District and chaired the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
According to the Chamber, Sell played a role in major agricultural legislation during his time in Washington, including the 2002 Farm Bill and Crop Insurance Reform Act of 2000.
He eventually returned home to Lubbock and co-founded a business with Combest advocating for agricultural producers and rural communities across the southern High Plains and beyond.
Talking About the Future of West Texas Agriculture
Sell is expected to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture and rural communities, drawing on everything from his Washington experience to his work with producers here in West Texas.
There's also a strong Texas Tech connection beyond his degrees. Sell and his wife, Kyla, regularly mentor students through Tech's Davis College of Agriculture.
In other words, this isn't somebody flying into Lubbock to explain West Texas agriculture to West Texans. He's spent much of his life and career right in the middle of it.
How to Attend the Harvest Luncheon
The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce Harvest Luncheon happens Thursday, October 15th, from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Learning Center.
Individual tickets are $65 for Chamber members and $85 for future members. Tables for eight are available for $500, and sponsorship opportunities are also available.
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The deadline to purchase tickets, tables and sponsorships is October 7th through the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce Harvest Luncheon page.
In a place where what happens in the fields can affect just about everybody in town, the future of West Texas agriculture is really a conversation about the future of Lubbock itself.
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