Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Larry Redmon, 979-845-4826, l-redmon@tamu.edu
KERRVILLE – “Tools for the Trade” is the theme and exactly what will be offered at the fifth annual Hill Country Land Stewardship Conference hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service April 26-27 in Kerrville, according to the program coordinator.
The annual event will feature speakers on everything from grazing to prescribed fire, herbicide control to hunting leases, and legal issues to consider while managing a ranch, said Dr. Larry Redmon, AgriLife Extension program leader and associate department head in the Texas A&M University department of soil and crop sciences in College Station.
“The Hill Country is a special part of Texas with an attraction to millions of individuals who ranch and come to vacation, hunt, rest and relax each year,” Redmon said. “Along with the spectacular beauty of the area, the Hill Country has its own special needs for management and this conference is designed to help landowners and managers address those needs.”
The conference fee is $75 and includes all meals, break refreshments and tour transportation costs. Registration will be available through April 16 at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/BennettTrust or 979-845-2604.
The conference will open with on-site registration, check-in and breakfast at 7:30 a.m. April 26 at the Y.O. Ranch Hotel, 2033 Sidney Baker St. The program will begin at 8:30 a.m.
The following topics and speakers are set for April 26:
— Grazing Livestock: Cattle, Goats, Sheep and Wildlife, Dr. Robert Lyons, AgriLife Extension range specialist, Uvalde.
— Prescribed Fire: Rejuvenate and Prevent Wildfire, Dr. Morgan Russell, AgriLife Extension range specialist, San Angelo.
— Herbicide Control Options: Is it Necessary?, Dr. Megan Clayton, AgriLife Extension range specialist, Corpus Christi.
— Setting Some Goals: Knowing When To Do Nothing, Clayton.
— U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency – Resources/Programs, Ricky Neffendorf, Farm Service Agency county executive director, Fredericksburg.
— Hunting Leases: Hunting for Success, Dr. John Tomecek, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, Thrall.
— Ag or Wildlife Tax Valuation: What Your Choice Ultimately Means, Tomecek.
— Fence Laws: How to Not Get Your Britches Ripped, Jim Bradbury, attorney, Austin.
— Wildlife Signs and ID’s, Annaliese Scoggin, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist, Abilene.
— Rural Living: How Population Increases in the Edwards Plateau Will Affect You, Dr. Rebekka Dudensing, AgriLife Extension economist, College Station.
The second day of the conference will be dedicated to tours. Attendees will pick from tours of the Hillingdon Ranch in Kendall County, “Wine and Roses” in Kerr and Gillespie counties, or the Kerr Wildlife Management Area in Kerr County.
For more information, contact Redmon at l-redmon@tamu.edu or an AgriLife Extension agent in the region, or go to http://agrilife.org/bennetttrust/.
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