The fourth annual Hill Country Land Stewardship Conference hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is scheduled for April 20-21 at the Y.O. Ranch Hotel in Kerrville.
“This conference provides a comprehensive update on many aspects of ranch management to those new to Hill Country ranching, as well as something for those who have been at it a long time,” said Dr. Larry Redmon, AgriLife Extension program leader and Texas A&M University soil and crop science associate department head, College Station.
Funded in part by the Ruth and Eskel Bennett Endowment, the cost of the two-day conference is $75 and includes all meals, break refreshments and tour transportation costs. Registration will be available from Feb. 16-April 14 online.
The conference will open with registration at 7:30 a.m. April 20, and the program will begin at 8:30 a.m.
The following topics and speakers will fill the morning program:
- Getting to Know Your Resources, Dr. Megan Clayton, AgriLife Extension range specialist, Corpus Christi.
- Managing Deep-Rooted Invaders, Dr. Robert Lyons, AgriLife Extension range specialist, Uvalde.
- Top Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know, Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist, Amarillo.
- Master Naturalist Program, Michelle Haggerty, Texas Master Naturalist program coordinator, Kerrville.
- Landscaping for Wildlife, Dr. Maureen Frank, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, Uvalde.
- Livestock Options for Smaller Acreage, Dr. Reid Redden, AgriLife Extension state sheep and goat specialist, San Angelo.
- Rainwater Harvesting Options, Billy Kniffen, retired AgriLife Extension water resource associate, Menard.
- Edwards Plateau – Where We Have Come From and Where We Are Going, Dr. Barron Rector, AgriLife Extension range specialist, College Station.
The second day of the conference will be dedicated to tours. Individuals will pick from tours of the Hillingdon Ranch in Kendall County, “Wine and Roses” in Gillespie County or the Kerr Wildlife Management Area.
For more information, contact Redmon at l-redmon@tamu.edu or an AgriLife Extension agent in the region, or got to agrilife.org/bennetttrust. Read the AgriLife TODAY article.