As many new landowners move to Medina County, small-acreage landowners are invited to a Oct. 25 workshop to help understand their property and make informed decisions.
Land Smart: A Guide to Small Acreage Stewardship, will be held from 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the St. Louis Braden Keller Community Center in Castroville. The event is free and open to the public and includes breakfast and lunch, and is hosted by the Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, Medina Valley Soil and Water Conservation District, MVSWCD, and partners.
Registration is requested at tx.ag/landsmart2025 or by calling 830-426-2521, ext. 3.
Help for new landowners
“It is easy to feel overwhelmed with the possibilities of what to do with new property and many new landowners in the Medina River Watershed are likely wondering, now what?” said Mary Michael Zahed, Medina River watershed coordinator, TWRI. “This workshop was designed especially for new landowners and those with 1-50 acres of land.”
The workshop will cover topics such as understanding Medina County soils, water, and vegetation; land use options like livestock, wildlife, and beekeeping; tax benefits for agriculture and wildlife exemptions; and local programs and funding sources. Hands-on demonstrations, including a rainfall simulator and watershed model, will show conservation practices in action.
A panel discussion will feature experts from the Medina Valley Soil and Water Conservation District, Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas Grazing Land Coalition, Wildlife Habitat Federation, USDA–Natural Resources Conservation Service, and USDA–Farm Service Agency. This is an opportunity for landowners to ask local experts questions about their property and land management options.
“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.”
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.
