Category Archives: Land Stewardship
The future look of urban Texas landscapes
By: Kerry Halladay The Texas landscape is changing and becoming more urban. In her new role in Dallas — one of the fastest-growing cities in the country — Dr. Becky Bowling hopes to see that urban landscape become more water efficient and uniquely, beautifully Texan in the future. “I would say conservation is my passion,” Bowling said. “And I’m really interested in it from an urban perspective.” Bowling is an assistant professor in the Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and a Texas A&M AgriLife… Read More →
Conservation and sustainable agriculture highlighted at field tour
by Beth Ann Luedeker Conservation and sustainable agriculture practices aim to address our world’s need for food and fiber products with minimal impact on the soil and available water resources. Farmers who implement these practices may qualify for federal funding if certain standards are met. The standards are set by the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), based on land grant university research, and disseminated to producers through the NRCS and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension efforts. To help facilitate the communication between these groups, Jake Mowrer, Ph.D., held a… Read More →
Healthy Lawns Healthy Waters program held
Everyone with a lawn has the opportunity to be an environmental steward. This was part of the message presented at the recent Healthy Lawns Healthy Waters program at the Guadalupe Water Conservation District office in Seguin by John Smith, an AgriLife Extension program specialist focused on water quality, Reagan Hejl, a research associate in turfgrass science, and Ward Ling, an AgriLife Extension program specialist in watershed protection. Turfgrass lawns are a resource that can help prevent soil erosion, dissipate heat, filter chemical pollutants, improve surface water quality and… Read More →
2019 Hill Country land stewardship conference set for April 25-26
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… Read More →
More mature cover crops help retain moisture longer
By: Kay Ledbetter Often producers planting cover crops are worried about moisture use, but more important is the longevity of the crop residue and its beneficial results, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist. Dr. Paul DeLaune, an AgriLife Research environmental soil scientist at Vernon, said when he talks about the residue management of cover crops, one question he always gets concerns termination timing and the use of soil moisture by the cover crop. Cover crops are designed to keep soil from blowing and improve soil quality. DeLaune… Read More →
Water quality training October 9 in Austin will focus on Shoal Creek
Contact: Michael Kuitu, 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu Joanna Wolaver, 512-565-0812, joanna@shoalcreekconservancy.org Noel Troxclair, 512-854-9600, noel.troxclair@ag.tamu.edu A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to Shoal Creek will be held from 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. October 9 at the Lamar Senior Activities Center, 2874 Shoal Crest Avenue in Austin. Interested persons are also invited to attend an 11:00 a.m.-noon Shoal Creek stakeholder meeting immediately prior to the workshop. The workshop is presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the… Read More →
Rainwater harvesting, turf management training Sept. 20-21 in Boerne and San Antonio
By: AgriLife Today Contacts: John W Smith, 979-845-2761, johnwsmith@tamu.edu Dr. Becky Grubbs, 979-845-3041, bgrubbs@tamu.edu Dr. Diane Boellstorff, 979-458-3562, dboellstorff@tamu.edu Reagan Hejl, 979-845-5252, Reagan.hejl@tamu.edu Lee Marlowe, 210-302-3624, lmarlow@sara-tx.org Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program is hosting two residential rainwater harvesting and turf management trainings in Boerne and San Antonio on Sept. 20 and 21, respectively. The first training, in collaboration with the Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed Partnership, will be from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Cibolo Nature Center, 140 City Park Road… Read More →
4th Annual Women’s Stewardship Conference in Fredericksburg October 1-2
By: Beth Ann Luedeker Contact: Matt Brown, matthew.brown@tamu.edu 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. 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… Read More →
Yaupon control discussed at 32nd Annual O.D. Butler Forage Field Day
Story and Photos by : Beth Ann Luedeker Contact: Vanessa Corriher-Olson vacorriher@ag.tamu.edu Landowners fight a constant battle against invasive species of plants. Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Soil and Crop Sciences professor and AgriLife Extension forage specialist from Overton provided several control options for yaupon during the 32nd Annual O.D. Butler Forage Field Day and Camp Cooley Ranch. Yaupon can be controlled mechanically or chemically, Olson told attendees. During her presentation Charles Fuchs with CF Mulching Services of Easterly demonstrated yaupon removal using a mulching machine. “Mechanical control gives… Read More →
6th Annual Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Watershed Cleanup
Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Ward Ling, 979-845-6980, wling@tamu.edu In spite of a cold front that blew in, volunteers came out in force for the recent annual Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Clean Up, coordinated by the Geronimo and Alligator Creeks Partnership, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. The cleanup is part of implementation efforts for the area’s watershed protection plan, coordinators said. Geronimo Creek and its tributary Alligator Creek flow through Comal and Guadalupe counties. Both creeks were identified for watershed protection plan… Read More →