Texas:

Urban Rancher and Small Acreage Short Courses Will be Held in Canyon

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By Kay Ledbetter

Texas A&M

CANYON, Texas (February 19, 2010) - The Texas AgriLife Extension Service of Randall County will offer a three-part Urban Ranchers/Small Acreage Short Course series beginning this spring, according to J.D. Ragland, AgriLife Extension agent.

These educational programs will be held on April 15, May 20 and June 17. All programs will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension office at 200 N. Brown Road in Canyon.

This program is specifically designed for all small acreage landowners (3-10 acres) to learn how to better manage and maximize production of their property, Ragland said. Each series will feature presentations from guest speakers who are experts in their fields.

During the April 15 program, “The Importance of Knowing your Soil Type” will be presented by Dr. Clay Robinson, West Texas A&M University professor of plant and soil science, who will also include recommendations for applying proper fertilization.

He will be followed by Dr. Ted McCollum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, whose topic is “Establishing Various Native Grasses.” McCollum will introduce various types of native grasses and provide recommendations for establishing and managing each.

At the May 20 meeting, Nicholas Kenny, AgriLife Extension irrigation specialist, will present “Irrigation and Water Management” and offer ideas for low water-use plants for small acreage landowners.

The second topic for the day is “Pesticide Safety Requirements and Regulations,” presented by Levon Harman of the Texas Department of Agriculture. Harman will cover all aspects of laws and regulations pertaining to applying pesticides and/or herbicides.

The final program in the series on June 17 will highlight “Establishing Wildlife Habitat for Small Acres.” Ken Cearley, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist will discuss the different types of wildlife that could be established on small acreage areas, along with necessary plant species needed for maintaining various types of fowl.

The final topic will be “Developing Rainwater Harvesting Units.” Robin Garrison, AgriLife Extension urban programs coordinator for Randall County, will present and demonstrate how to construct these types of systems.

The cost will be a onetime fee of $20 per participant which can be paid at the first program meeting, Ragland said. Attendance space is limited to 50. Interested participants must RSVP through the AgriLife Extension office on or before March 15.

For more information regarding the Urban Rancher/Small Acreage Short Course and to RSVP, call the AgriLife Extension in Randall County at 806-468-5543.