Conference

Redmon among Texas A&M honorees at annual crop, soil science conferences

11Nov

Writer: Kay Ledbetter

A Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service leader will be honored along with other Texas A&M faculty and students for their professional achievements Nov. 10-13 in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio.

The recognitions will be made by the Crop Sciences Society of America, or CSSA; the American Society of Agronomy, or ASA; and the Soil Sciences Society of America, or SSSA, during their annual conference.

ASA Fellow

Dr. Larry Redmon has been named a Fellow of the Agronomy Society of America.

Larry Redmon, Ph.D., will be named an ASA Fellow on Nov. 12. Redmon is the associate department head and AgriLife Extension program leader for the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M, administering one of the largest agronomic extension units in the country.

He also serves as the AgriLife Extension state forage specialist, where he participates in educational programs across the state; and he serves as AgriLife Extension’s first endowed specialist responsible for oversight of the Bennett Trust Endowment and associated land stewardship programs in the Edwards Plateau.

ASA’s annual awards are presented for outstanding contributions to agronomy through education, national and international service, and research. Fellow is the highest recognition bestowed by ASA. Members nominate colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service.

Redmon is a certified professional in forage and grassland, wildlife biology, turfgrass management and rangeland management. His research and educational outreach focus on establishment, management and utilization of forages to improve production systems and protect valuable natural resources.

Internationally recognized for his work in forage management, he has made presentations to delegations from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Poland, Tunisia and Venezuela.

Redmon has garnered $7.8 million in grants, produced 32 refereed journal articles and 98 Extension publications, helped to train 35 graduate students, and has participated in 1,275 educational programs with over 82,000 attendees.

He has provided leadership for both ASA and CSSA, and at the regional, state and local levels in educational program and materials development in both Oklahoma and Texas. He currently serves as associate editor for the Agrosystems, Geosciences and Environment publication.

Redmon previously received two Certificate of Excellence awards from ASA for the Lone Star Healthy Streams program, as well as for his electronic newsletter, “The Pasture Gazette.”

He earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Stephen F. Austin State University and a doctorate in range science from Texas A&M. He spent six years with Oklahoma State University before joining AgriLife Extension in 1999 as a forage specialist at Overton. He moved to College Station in 2004.

Other Award Winners:

Golden Opportunity Scholars – Kade Flynn, a College Station native, is a junior geology major who works in the soils lab at Texas A&M.

Nicole Shigley

Frank D. Keim Graduate Fellowship – Nicole Shigley, of Spring, TX, is working on her master’s degree in soil science. Shigley was a Golden Opportunity Scholar last year, and recently coached the soil judging team as they qualified for nationals.

Gabriel Janish

Greenfield Scholars – ASA – Gabriel Janish, of Bellville, is a junior working toward his plant and environmental soil science degree. He was part of the Champion Aggie Quiz Bowl team at the Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Sciences conference a year ago.

Aniruddha Maity

Gerald O. Mott Award – CSSA – Aniruddha Maity, of Kolkata, India, a doctoral student in plant breeding. His research is focused on the physiological and molecular aspects of seed dormancy and shattering in ryegrass.

Sarah Marsh

National Association of Plant Breeders Borlaug Undergraduate Scholars – Sarah Marsh, Arbuckle, California, a senior plant and environmental soil science student. She is a member of the undergraduate Agronomy Society, along with participating in a study abroad program to Brazil. She has been recognized with the Texas A&M President’s Endowed Scholarship, as well as numerous department-level scholarships.

Julie Howe, Ph.D.

Lloyd R. Frederick Soil Teaching Travel Study Award- SSSA – Julie Howe, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research soil chemistry and fertility associate professor, College Station.

Boaxin “Bob” Chang

Chris Stiegler Turf Science Student Travel Award and Fellowship – CSSA – This award will be presented to both Boaxin “Bob” Chang, a doctoral student in soil sciences from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, and Will Bowling, a master’s student in turfgrass science from Suwanee, Georgia.

Will Bowling

Caitlin Lakey

Caitlyn Lakey of Porter, TX, received a U.S. Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture internship earlier in the year and will be recognized at the meetings. Lakey is working on her master’s degree in plant breeding. She also has previously been a Golden Opportunity Scholar.

Water conference to address rural and urban water issues

16May

By: Beth Luedeker
Contact: Diane Boellstorff, dboellstorff@tamu.edu
Drew Gholson, drew.gholson@msstate.edu
Joel Pigg, j-pigg@tamu.edu

Landowners are becoming increasingly aware of the value of water and water quality.

Those and others issues will be addressed at the Southern Region Water Conference July 23-25 in College Station, TX.

Irrigation scheduling, cover crops, conservation tillage and other water conservation practices will be part of the focus of the Southern Region Water Conference.

The conference, titled “Improving Adoption of Sustainable Water Management Practices” will focus on optimizing water use efficiency and protecting water quality in the southern United States. Speakers will provide relevant information for all water users, not just agriculture producers.

Wednesday’s keynote address will be a climate outlook by John Nielsen-Gammon, Regents Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University and Texas State Climatologist.

Rainwater harvesting and other forms of urban water conservation will be discussed at the Southern Region Water Conference in addition to sessions focused on agricultural practices. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

“Don’t Mess with Texas – Water Edition” will be the Thursday keynote address given by Brooke Paup, one of three board members for the Texas Water Development Board.

Breakout sections will address topics such as private water wells and drinking water, urban water conservation, watershed management, and ecosystem services as well as those aimed at crop irrigation and tillage practices.

“The conference has something for anyone who uses water,” said Dr. Diane Boellstorff, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Water Resource Specialist in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and one of the conference organizers. “We would love to see some people interested in turfgrass and rainwater harvesting, urban planners and homeowners here.

Faculty and staff from the TAMU Department of Soil and Crop Sciences will be among those presenting at the conference. Those speakers and their topics include:

Dr. Paul DeLaune – Optimising cotton production with conservation tillage and irrigation timing.
Ward Ling – Effectively engaging stakeholders in watershed planning projects.
John Smith – Improving and protecting urban surface water quality.
Joel Pigg – Texas Well Owner Network
Drs. Diane Boellstorff and Drew Gholson of Mississippi State will lead a workshop regional and national collabortion efforts to improve water management.

The program agenda can be found on the conference website: https://agrilifecdn.tamu.edu/southern-region-water-conference.

Private water well management, drinking water and watershed management breakout sessions are included in the agenda for the Southern Region Water Conference.

The regional conference is a collaborative effort between AgriLife Extension, Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Educations (SARE), Oklahoma Water Resources Center, University of Kentucky, and the cooperative extension programs from Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities, Clemson University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, and Prairie View A&M University.

Registration is open at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/organizationListings/90.

2019 Texas A&M Plant Breeding Symposium held

20Mar

Writer: Beth Ann Luedeker

Dr. Bill Rooney, Professor and Borlaug-Monsanto Chair for Plant Breeding and International Crop Improvement, discussed the use of genome prediction for crop improvement. (Texas A&M Soil and Crop Sciences photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

Soil and Crop Sciences and Horticulture graduate students teamed up once again to host the Texas A&M University Plant Breeding Symposium at the Memorial Student Center February 21.

This is the fourth year for student-run symposium, and the event keeps getting bigger and better. Since its inception the symposium has been attended by 1,200 scientists and graduate students either in person or via the live webinar broadcast.

Graduate student organizers of the symposium were (from left to right) Jales Fonseca, Yu-ya Liang, Nolan Bentley, Cynthia Sias, Jeewan Pandey, Anil Adhikari, and Roy Davis.

Plant Breeders, Assemble! was the theme for this year, with a focus on how interdisciplinary teams are working together for plant improvement. Keynote speakers included Dr. Tabare Abadie of Corteva, Dr. Matthew Rouse of the USDA-ARS, Dr. Jose Crossa of CIMMYT, and Dr. Bill Rooney, TAMU Professor and Borlaug-Monsanto Chair for Plant Breeding and International Crop Improvement.

Three travel scholarships were provided by Corteva to bring students from other universities to present their research posters at this symposium. The winners of those scholarships were Gina Sideli, a Ph.D. student in Hortuculture and Agronomy at the University of California-Davis; Bal Maharajan, a Master’s student in Plant Biotechnology at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; and Alexander Susko, a Ph.D. student in Plant Breeding at the University of Minnesota.

three female graduate students standing together

Ranjita Thapa, April DeMell and Ammani Kyanam were the graduate students selected to speak at the symposium.

Three Texas A&M students were given the opportunity to speak at the symposium in addition to presenting their research posters. Those speakers were April DeMell a Master’s student in Plant Pathology; Ammani Kyanam, a Ph.D. student in Plant breeding under Dr. Bill Rooney; and Ranjita Thapa, a Ph.D. Plant Breeding student under Dr. Michael Thomson.

Winners in the poster competiton were Stephany Toinga, 1st; Aditi Raju, 2nd; and Lauren Fedinia 3rd.

Stephany Toinga placed first with in the research poster competition. (Texas A&M Soil and Crop Sciences photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

Graduate student Yu-ya Liang introduces a speaker during the afternoon session of the symposium.

crowd of people looking at a line of posters

More than 40 graduate students presented their research posters during the Plant Breeding Symposium.

Graduate student Jales Fonseca introduced the speakers during the morning session. (Texas A&M Soil and Crop Sciences photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

2019 Hill Country land stewardship conference set for April 25-26

12Feb

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Larry Redmon, 979-845-4826, l-redmon@tamu.edu

The Hill Country has its own special needs when it comes to managing livestock and wildlife and incorporating the millions of individuals who come to vacation, hunt and relax in the ranching environments.

The sixth annual Hill Country Land Stewardship Conference hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offers a chance for landowners in the region to learn more about addressing issues that arise when ranching and tourism combine, said Dr. Larry Redmon, AgriLife Extension program leader, College Station.

man pouring water into trays with different types of ground cover

Matt Brown demonstrated water runoff rates at the 2018 Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference in Kerrville. (Texas A&M Soil and Crop Sciences photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“We keep coming back and offering speakers on everything from grazing to prescribed fire and legal issues to wildlife management because our clientele in the region say they want to learn more,” Redmon said.

The 2019 conference will be held April 25-26 at the YO Ranch Hotel and Conference Center in Kerrville. On-site registration, check-in and breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m. April 25 at the Y.O. Ranch Hotel, 2033 Sidney Baker St. The program will begin at 8:30 a.m.

The conference fee is $75 and includes all meals, break refreshments and tour transportation costs. Registration is now open and preregistration will be available through April 15 at agriliferegister.tamu.edu/bennetttrustor 979-845-2604.

Redmon said several speakers will offer insight on some of the less-thought-of aspects of ranching or land ownership.

Topics and speakers include:

Managing for Unwanted Plant Species, Dr. Robert Lyons, AgriLife Extension range specialist, Uvalde.
Birding in the Hill Country, Dr. Maureen Frank, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, Uvalde.
Top Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know, Dr. Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist, Amarillo.
Using Prescribed Burning on Your Property, Dr. Morgan Treadwell, AgriLife Extension range specialist, San Angelo.
How to Incorporate Exotics, Charly Seale, Exotic Wildlife Association executive director, Kerrville.
Managing Your Whitetail Deer, Redmon.

The second day of the conference will be dedicated to tours. Attendees will pick from tours of the Hillingdon Ranch in Kendall County, where legacy management will be discussed, or the Cimarron Ranch in Kerr County, where wildlife management will be the topic.

For more information, contact Linda Francis at L-francis@tamu.edu or an AgriLife Extension agent in the region, or go to http://agrilife.org/bennetttrust/.

Participants at the 2018 Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference in Kerrville learned about different animal tracks from Annalise Scoggins from Texas Parks and Wildlife. (TAMU Soil and Crop Sciences photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

Bennett Trust Women’s Conference receives Vice Chancellor’s Award

22Jan

Writer: Kay Ledbetter

The Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence – Climate and Diversity honor was presented to the Bennett Trust Women’s Land Stewardship Conference during a ceremony Jan. 7 on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station.

The awards recognize the commitment and outstanding contributions displayed across Texas A&M AgriLife and celebrate those contributions and achievements of faculty, students and staff members.

The AgriLife Extension team includes Dr. Larry Redmon, associate department head and program leader, department of soil and crop sciences, College Station; Dr. Robert Lyons, range specialist, Uvalde; Dr. Megan Clayton, range specialist, Corpus Christi; Roy Walston, agriculture and natural resources county agent, Kerr County; Brad Roeder, agriculture and natural resources county agent, Gillespie County; and Todd Swift, regional program leader, South Region.

The conference, part of the Bennett Trust Land Stewardship program held annually in the Edwards Plateau, is funded by the generous posthumous gift from Ruth and Eskel Bennett to AgriLife Extension. This endowment was created for land stewardship education in the Edwards Plateau.

Bennett conference team at awards ceremony

The Bennett Trust Women’s Land Stewardship Conference Team received the Award in Excellence – Culture and Diversity. From Left to right are Dr. Patrick Stover, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Larry Redmon, Dr. Bob Lyons, Brad Roeder, Roy Walston, and Todd Swift. Not pictured, Dr. Megan Clayton. (Photo by Kellett Photography)

The inaugural women’s event was held in October 2015 in Fredericksburg, and was so well-received, the event has been conducted each October since, according to the nomination.

The main goals for the program are to provide women with basic information about economically and environmentally sound management of natural resources in the Edwards Plateau and to empower them to make the necessary decisions regarding their own ranch management.

The age of women attending the conferences ranges from 20 years to 80 years and represent women who spent their entire lives in the “big city” to those who grew up in the country, but for various reasons, have never been the ranch management decision maker, the nomination stated.

They all have a couple of things in common – most have never had the chance to make the management decisions regarding their resources, and they have a tremendous desire to be great stewards of their piece of Texas, according to the nomination.

The Bennett Trust Women’s Conference consists of a day in a classroom; most speakers are women representing AgriLife Extension, other public agencies and the private sector. The second day is spent on charter buses visiting women-owned enterprises related to various production enterprises common to the Edwards Plateau.

Faculty members from Texas A&M University’s ecosystem science and management, soil and crop sciences, wildlife and fisheries sciences, animal science, agricultural economics, and recreation, parks and tourism departments have united to bring a multi-disciplinary approach to the overall educational program.

“Our goal with the women’s conference is to provide them with the tools and confidence to return to their ranch and make a difference,” Redmon said. “This is a critical part of the overall goal of the program.”

Coffee Education Symposium held at Texas A&M

17Dec

Writer: Beth Ann Luedeker

Coffee researchers, roasters and others with an interest in coffee gathered at the Scotts turfgrass facility on the Texas A&M University campus to discuss opportunities for coffee research.

“Coffee is not one of our top crops, but millions of pounds are roasted and consumed in Texas each year,” said Dr. Leo Lombardini, Horticulture Professor and Director of the Texas A&M Coffee Center. “In the Houston area alone, there are about 100 small roasters and 15 large roasters.”

Researchers and members of the coffee industry gathered at the Scotts facility in College Station for the first Coffee Education Symposium. (Soil and Crop Sciences Photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

Coffee is an important commodity for the United States. It has a $225.2 billion economic impact in the U.S. and provides more than 1.6 million jobs, he explained.

There is more than an economic impact, however. Since coffee is ground for a single use, there is a significant environmental impact to address.

“Coffee grounds are a large waste issue. Thousands of tons of used grounds are sent to landfills annually,” said Amanda Birnbaum, a doctoral student in Horticultural Sciences.

Companies like GeoJava, a cold-brew coffee company, are working with researchers to find ways the spent grounds can be of beneficial use.

Soil and Crop Sciences Associate Professor Ben Wherley is one such of the researchers. He had his team have joined forces with GeoJava to research possible uses for spent grounds in turfgrass systems.

Dr. Ben Wherley discusses coffee grounds research at TAMU. (SCSC Photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“Most sports fields are sand based, so spent coffee grounds can be used as a root zone amendment,” Wherley told the participants at the symposium. “We are seeing a layer of spent coffee grounds forming in thatch, and expect to see them contributing to increased water holding capacity in the future.”

Greenhouse tests indicate that the spent grounds help retain moisture, and they are now testing that in the research plots in College Station, he said.

Wherley said he has also had some success using grounds as a preemergent herbicide.

group of people looking at grass maked with grid

Participants at the symposium braved the cold rain to view research plots and hear Garrett Flores, a Master’s student in Wherley’s program, discuss his research. (SCSC photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“We are just scratching the surface of research,” he said. “Do we need to compost the grounds first? Do fresh grounds work better? How effective will they be as a pre-emergent? Those are questions we want to answer.”

During the conference researchers are also discussed their work on the sensory aspect of coffee, the constraints for smallholder coffee farmers, improving coffee quality through soil health remediation, and more.

Master’s student Garrett Flores pointed out some of the coffee grounds being used as a soil amendment in his research plots.(SCSC Photos by Beth Ann Luedeker)

Neely named president of Texas Plant Protection Assn.

17Dec

Writer: Beth Ann Luedeker

Dr. Clark Neely, Soil and Crop Sciences Assistant Professor and AgriLife Extension small grains and oilseed specialist, was named as the new president of the Texas Plant Protection Association at their 30th annual conference December 5.

Dr. Clark Neely is the new president of the Texas Plant Protection Association. (TAMU Soil and Crop Sciences photo by: Beth Ann Luedeker)

Neely joined the department as a graduate research assistant in 2010 after earning his Master of Science in Plant Science from the University of Idaho. He received his B.S. in Agriculture Extension and Education with minors in Agronomy and Animal Science from The Pennsylvania State University.

He has been in his current role since 2013.

As the state extension specialist for small grains and oilseed crops, Neely works with producers, industry and faculty across the state of Texas, to promote environmentally and economically sound agronomic practices.

He coordinates the statewide Uniform Variety Trials for wheat, conducting research on water use efficiency, yield improvements and sustainable practices which will best meet the global food demands and provide a profitable income stream for producers, while being environmentally sustainable.

Neely accepted the gavel from out-going president Dr. Kranthi Mandadi.

Soil and Crop Sciences Master’s student Colby Scott Ratcliff was recognized as the TPPA Outstanding Graduate Student for 2018.

This award is given to a graduate student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at TAMU who enters a poster or paper at the annual meeting, has record of excellence in the graduate program and has made a significant contribution to Texas production agriculture.

Colby Ratcliff received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award for 2018 from TPPA. Pictured are past president Kranthi Mandadi, Ratcliff, and association board chairman Ray Smith. (TAMU Soil and Crop Sciences photo by: Beth Ann Luedeker)

Ratcliff, who is working under the supervision of Dr. Seth Murray, earned his B.S. in Agriculture Economics at Texas A&M in 2016. At that time he had not considered graduate school.

“I started working for Dr. Murray as an undergraduate student worker,” Ratcliff said. “As I was nearing the end of my undergraduate career, we were in the middle of a corn field and began discussing grad school. Dr. Murray offered me a spot in his breeding program, and began working on my Master’s in Agronomy right after graduating in December of 2016.”

He has played a large role in the planting, agronomics and data collection of the Genomes to Fields collaborative project in College Station and has shown great leadership in the Maize Breeding and Quanititative Genetics program, Dr. Murray said in his nomination of Ratcliff.

Ratcliff has accepted a position with J.R. Simplot Grower Solutions as a Crop Advisor-Technical Services Representative in College Station. He will complete his research work this spring (while employed) and receive his Master’s in May, 2019.

In the TPPA Ph.D. student poster contest, James Griffin, a Plant Breeding student under Dr. Gaylon Morgan, claimed first place. His poster highlights research on the efficacy of cotton recovery sprays on injury caused by dicamba and 2,4 D.

In the Plant Identification contest, Dale Mott, AgriLife Extension program specialist under Dr. Gaylon Morgan, placed third.

Ph.D. poster contest winner, James Griffin, center with past president Kranthi Mandadi and Pete Eure, poster chairman. (TAMU Soil and Crop Sciences photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

4th Annual Women’s Stewardship Conference in Fredericksburg October 1-2

6Sep

By: Beth Ann Luedeker
Contact: Matt Brown, matthew.brown@tamu.edu

Maureen Frank, Texas AgriLife Extension, spoke to attendees at the 2017 conference about birds and birding.

The fourth annual women’s stewardship conference sponsored by the Bennett Trust and Texas A&M AgriLife will be held October 1 -2 at The Inn on Barron’s Creek in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Tiffany Lashmet in front of room addressing a group of women

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet spoke to 2017 attendees about agriculture laws. She will be returning this year to provide another entertaining and informative presentation.

This year’s conference, “Empowering Women – New Stewardship Traditions”, will include presentations and discussions of land stewardship followed by an outdoor session and tours of agribusinesses owned and/or run by women.

Day one of the conference will include presentations on topics from both traditional and non-traditional agriculture. This year’s agenda includes small ruminants, horses, bee keeping, birding, prescribed burning, agriculture finance, agriculture law and more.

Following breakfast on day two, we will travel to a nearby ranch where attendees will rotate between different activities – plant identification, animal track and scat identification, skeet shooting and archery. Professionals will provide instruction in safety and operation of shotguns and bows before allowing the participants an opportunity to test their marksmanship.

women with animal track molds on a truck tailgate

Analiese Scoggin showed participants a variety of animal tracks and scat before leading the group through the woods to see natural evidence of wildlife.

“The afternoon tours will include businesses we have not been to before,” said Matt Brown, conference organizer. “We will stop at Bridget’s Basket in Hunt, Texas, where we will eat lunch, and then travel to a couple other operations which we are still finalizing.”

instructor showing proper way to hold a bow and arrow

Larry Petty of Kerr County 4-H Shooting Sports provided archery instruction at the 2017 Bennett women’s conference.

The conference began in 2015 to meet the need of the increasing number of women who are becoming landowners. It offers women an opportunity to learn in a comfortable atmosphere, among other women of similar interests.

The two-day conference costs just $75, including all meals, break refreshments and tour transportation.
More information can be found on the website – https://agrilife.org/bennetttrust/
Register at: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/productListingDetails/2618

Several of the state’s top female shooters were on hand to provide shotgun instruction and give the women an opportunity to try their hands at skeet shooting.

Record attendance at 5th Annual Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference

10May

Story and photos by: Beth Ann Luedeker
Contact: Dr. Larry Redmon – l-redmon@tamu.edu

The 5th annual conference was held at the YO Ranch Hotel and Conference Center in Kerrville April 26-27 with more than 70 landowners and prospective land owners in attendance. This was the largest attendance at the conference since its inception, and many of those in attendance had attended at least previous conference.

man talking to group of people in a conference room

Dr. Bob Lyons explains grazing behavior at the 5th Annual Land Stewardship Conference sponsored by the Bennett Trust and Texas A&M Agrilife Extension.

“We have a people from different parts of the state, some with small land holdings and some with large acreages,” said program founder Dr. Larry Redmon, Associate Department Head – Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and the Bennett Trust Extension Specialist. “Everybody wants to be a good steward of their piece of Texas, so that is what these programs are designed to do.”

woman standing in front of conference room with presentation slide on big screen

AgriLife Extension Specialist Dr. Megan Clayton discussed herbicide control options and setting goals for your land.

The conference is the result of an endowment Eskel and Ruth Bennett made to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to support stewardship education efforts in the Edwards Plateau region.
Conference organizers bring in new speakers and present new information each year, touching on a wide range of stewardship topics.

This year those topics included prescribed burning, herbicide control options, fence laws, and leasing land for hunting. The group also got to see a rainwater runoff demonstration, prescribed burn equipment and brush management equipment.

woman in front of group with drip torch and backpack sprayer

Dr. Morgan Russell, AgriLife Extension Specialist from San Angelo, discussed using prescribed burns in land management and displayed many of the tools used.

“We have a great group of speakers, and folks come from all over, with different uses for their land and different goals,” said Extension Program Specialist Matt Brown, who has been assisting with the conference for several years. “The practices discussed here, although we are focused on the Edward’s Plateau, can be implemented across the state so it is something they can take back home, no matter where that might be, and use on their property.”

Matt Brown with a rainwater runoff simulator

Matt Brown, Extension Program Specialist in College Station, presented a rainwater runoff demonstration during the conference explaining that with excessive runoff, you not only lose water, but soil and nutrients as well.

farmer standing in front of herd of sheep

Robin Giles, owner of the historic Hillingdon Ranch, explains his sheep breeding program and management during the tour of his ranch on the second day of the conference. Participants were able to choose this tour or a tour of the Flagler Wildlife Ranch.

Participants attend the conference for a variety of reasons, but all truly care about their land and want to preserve it for future generations.

“We had a ranch in eastern Colorado, and recently moved down to Harper (Texas),” said Randy Rester, a participant in the recent conferenct. “We knew how to farm and ranch in Colorado, but Texas is totally different in what you can plant and when, the type of things we may need to control, and how to be good stewards of the land. That is why we are at the program. We are hoping to get an education on how we should be taking care of the land down here.”

Spring Ranch Management University benefits landowners

30Apr

Story and Photographs By: Beth Ann Luedeker
Contact: Dr. Larry Redmon – l-redmon@tamu.edu

Dr. Larry Redmon in front of RMU classroom

Dr. Larry Redmon, who developed and coordinates Ranch Management University, discussed forage management with the participants.

There was a full house for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s spring Ranch Management University, held April 2-6 in College Station.

Extension Specialist Jake Mowrer demonstrated soil horizons and discussed many aspects of soil health during the 5-day workshop.

The five-day workshop under the direction of Dr. Larry Redmon, Soil and Crop Sciences Associate Department Head for Extension, accepts only 50 participants and usually fills up quickly.

New Landowners, potential landowners, landowners looking for a refresher and at least one self-proclaimed “old school” cattleman gathered at the Animal Science complex near the Brazos River to hear Extension specialists discuss a wide variety of information. Presentations included land stewardship practices, wildlife management techniques, pond management strategies, horse and cattle management and much more.

Dr. Jennifer Zoller in Ranch Management University classroom

During her session on horse production, Dr. Jennifer Zoller introduced participants to the Texas Horse Health App – a free app for mobile devices which became available in January.

“My wife, son and I had a wonderful experience at RMU and we all learned ‘a whole bunch’, as we say in Texas” said Richard Hurst, whose family came down from Irving, TX for the workshop. “The information was timely and thorough in all areas. I have never encountered folks who are so willing to share information and support new ranchers.”

Participants had the opportunity to get their hands dirty and learn how to hand-texture soils.

Most of the week is spent in a classroom setting, but there are also daily demonstrations and hands-on activities.

As he watched the cattle handling demonstration, one participant said, “I have been doing this a long time. My wife says I’m old school and that’s why she dragged me here.”

He examined the Ral-Gro® gun, something he had not used before, and asked several questions before he continued.

“They have a lot of good information, and I have learned several new things this week,” he said.

Then he smiled and added, “It’s also been nice to see that I’ve been doing some things right.”

Ranch Management University takes place twice each year. Spring RMU typically occurs in April, with the Fall RMU taking place in October. While it is geared toward newer landowners, the presentations are beneficial for all landowners or future landowners.

People interested attending the workshop may contact Dr. Larry Redmon, l-redmon@tamu.edu or Linda Francis, l-francis@tamu.edu.