The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), Medina Valley Soil and Water Conservation District (MVSWCD), and other partners are hosting a Land Smart: A Guide to Small Acreage Stewardship workshop June 27 from 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Orange Corn Company in Rio Medina.
The event is free and open to the public and includes breakfast and lunch. Registration is requested and available online at tx.ag/landsmart2026 or by calling 830-426-2521 ext. 3. Most of this workshop occurs in the field, and attendees should dress appropriately for outdoor learning.
“Medina County is seeing many new faces as families move from city life to the countryside. This workshop will help small-acreage landowners understand their property and make informed decisions,” said Mary Michael Zahed, Medina River watershed coordinator and TWRI program specialist, San Antonio.
The workshop is designed for landowners with 1-50 acres of land.
“It is easy to feel overwhelmed with the possibilities of what to do with new property. Many new landowners in the Medina River watershed may be wondering, ‘now what?’” Zahed said.
Workshop to cover tax exemptions, soil, water and more
The workshop will cover topics such as understanding Medina County soils, water, and vegetation. Attendees can get down into soil pits, watch rainfall simulations, and learn to ID native and invasive plants for interactive learning. They will also learn about tax benefits for agriculture and wildlife exemptions and local programs and funding sources. Hands-on demonstrations will show conservation practices in action. These demos include the use of mobile phone applications and drone seeding on your land.
A panel discussion will feature experts from MVSWCD, TWRI, Texas Grazing Land Coalition, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Sky Senderos Drone Services, and Texas A&M AgriLife. This is an opportunity for landowners to ask local experts questions about their property and land management options. They will also be able to learn about resources available to them.
“This workshop is designed to inform smaller-acreage landowners of their opportunities, including land management, conservation objectives, and tax options,” said Wayne Stein, MVSWCD Chair. “Come join us for food and knowledge.”
Workshop funded by TSSWCB and EPA
Funding for this project is provided in part by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board State as part of a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
TWRI is a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that brings together expertise from across The Texas A&M University System.
For more information, contact Zahed at mary.lipfordzahed@ag.tamu.edu or 979-314-8092. Read more about the watershed at medina.twri.tamu.edu.
