Land Owner Educational Series Begins February 17

The Multi-County New Landowner Education program is a series of 8 informational meetings, seminars, and field days designed to make new landowners in Austin, Colorado, Fayette, and Washington Counties aware of what types of agricultural enterprises are best for their property.

Participants in the program will hear from experts in a variety of fields in agriculture about best management practices that can be implemented on their own property. This innovative program assists new landowners in understanding the concepts of rural living.

Participants in the program are given exposure to ideas on raising livestock and horses, plant identification, fence building, applying pesticides, soil testing, stock pond management, pond construction, fruit and nut production, rainwater harvesting, turf management, and much more.

The program also serves as a way for new residents of the four counties to network and meet new people in their communities, find out what can be done on their land, what operations can be successful, and possibly what opportunities they have to serve the community.

The programs will be held on the third Friday of the months of February through May (no program in April) and August through November. Each month’s meeting will be held at different locations in one of the four counties. The meetings begin at 1:30 p.m. and will last between 4 and 5 hours depending on the topic and possible tour stops.

The cost for the program series is $125 per person, $200 per couple for all seven meetings, $20 per person per meeting. Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) for pesticide applicators will be offered as they are applicable. A great selection of refreshments will be provided at each session.

Participants who sign up for the entire series will receive a notebook at the beginning of the series to fill as we progress through the program with handouts and reference material that will be useful as they move forward with improvements on their property.

The schedule is as follows: Feb. 17-Introduction and Program Overview, Ag & Wildlife Valuations; March 17-Pond Management, Construction, Aquatic Weed Control, and Stocking.; April 21Weed & Brush Control, Plant Identification and Control Recommendations for Common Weeds and Brush; May 19-Forage and/or Livestock Production, Options for Small Acreage Operations ; Aug. 18Bees and Trees for Homeowners; Sept. 15-Horticulture Production, Fruit Trees, Pecans, and Grapes for Landowners; Oct. 20-Wildlife Management and Native Prairie Restoration; and Nov. 17-Emerging Issues for Rural Landowners.

The first meeting for the 2023 series will take place on Friday, Feb. 17 at the Washington County Expo Sales Facility located at 1305 East Blue Bell Road in Brenham. The initial session will provide an overview of the program, share information for local resources, and provide participants with an opportunity to learn more about the fundamentals of getting started with managing their property. Representatives from the County Appraisal District Offices in each county will also be on hand for individual county breakout sessions to help answer questions related to Ag/Wildlife Tax Valuation for participants.

Registration materials and more information can also be found online at https://washington. agrilife.org/nlo or calling (979) 277-6212.