TITLE: Redesignating Poteet as the official Strawberry Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

SUMMARY: Redesignating Poteet as the official Strawberry Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, For more than a century, the South Texas community of Poteet has been known across the Lone Star State as a source of delicious strawberries and as the host of a renowned annual strawberry festival; and WHEREAS, In 1911, city founders Henry and Ida Mumme began to grow strawberries in their kitchen garden, and within 10 years, the community's strawberry crop had become one of its most successful products; local citizens invited residents of nearby San Antonio to sample the town's strawberries in 1921, and the San Antonio Express-News ran a story headlined "Crimson Berries Beckon Hungry Tourists to Poteet"; and WHEREAS, Building on the city's reputation, the Poteet Rotary Club staged the first Poteet Strawberry Festival in April 1948, hoping to provide an incentive for veterans of World War II to return to area farms; the club also promoted more careful packing of the crop so that each buyer would receive a uniform pint, flat, or crate of berries; and WHEREAS, Over the course of the past 77 years, the festival has grown to become one of the signature springtime events in South Texas, drawing 100,000 visitors and contributing as much as $12 million to the local economy each year; in addition to the strawberries themselves, including those sold at the much-anticipated strawberry auction, the popular gathering features live music, a parade, and a food show; and WHEREAS, The event also serves as a means of supporting area students; for more than two decades, the Poteet Strawberry Festival Association has presented college scholarships to a host of deserving recipients each year, and many of the churches, schools, and civic organizations that participate in the festival donate scholarships as well; and WHEREAS, This sweet, juicy, and colorful fruit is a delight to behold and to taste, and for many years, the citizens of Poteet have made the strawberry both a source of prosperity and a cause for celebration; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby redesignate Poteet as the official Strawberry Capital of Texas; and, be it further RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally passed by the legislature. McLaughlin President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 55 was adopted by the House on May 1, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 0, 5 present, not voting. Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 55 was adopted by the Senate on May 9, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: Date Governor