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Cancelled: AgriLife Extension’s Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference set May 3-4 in San Angelo

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Editor’s note: The following educational program has been cancelled:

Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

Contact: Josh Blanek, 325-659-6523, j-blanek@tamu.edu

SAN ANGELO – The Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference set May 3-4 in San Angelo at the McNease Convention Center and the accompanying tour of area ranches has been cancelled, the conference coordinator said.

“Members of the planning committee decided to cancel this week’s Bennett Trust program in San Angelo,” said Josh Blanek, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent in Tom Green County.

“We are postponing this event to a later date in order to fully capture the land stewardship audience and address emerging issues.”

Bennett Trust Land Stewardship educational activities are funded by the Ruth and Eskel Bennett Endowment, and are hosted by AgriLife Extension.

For more information, contact Blanek at 325-659-6523, j-blanek@tamu.edu.

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AgriLife Extension’s Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference May 3-4 sets tour of historic ranches

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Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

Contact: Josh Blanek, 325-659-6523, j-blanek@tamu.edu

SAN ANGELO – Attendees to  the upcoming Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference May 3-4 in San Angelo are in for the rare treat of touring two area ranches, the conference coordinator said.

“We will be touring two historic Concho Valley ranches — the Duff Ranch and the Head of the River Ranch — the second day of the event and ending the conference that evening at the beautiful Christoval Winery,” said Josh Blanek, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent in Tom Green County.

The conference, funded by the Ruth and Eskel Bennett Endowment and hosted by AgriLife Extension, will start at 8 a.m. May 3 in San Angelo’s McNease Convention Center, 501 Rio Concho Drive. The May 4 tour portion will also depart from the convention center after an on-site breakfast served at 7:30 a.m.

The historic Head of the River Ranch near Christoval will be part of the Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference May 3-4 in San Angelo. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Steve Byrns)

Individual registration for the public event is $75. Registration will be accepted the day of the event. More information on the trust and complete conference information is available at https://agrilife.org/bennetttrust/ or by contacting Blanek at 325-659-6523.

The first tour stop will be on the Duff Ranch, which recently received the Texas Department of Agriculture Family Land Heritage Award for continuous operation by the same family for 100 years. Stops on the ranch will feature various aspects of responsible brush management, Blanek said.

“We’ll see examples of the benefits of prescribed fire on southern Tom Green County rangeland and see pasture being prepared with fire breaks for future burning as well as recently burned sites and another site two years post-burn,” Blanek said.

“Dr. Morgan Russell, AgriLife Extension range specialist at San Angelo, will also be on hand to demonstrate individual plant treatment equipment and explain the latest in chemical brush control using these methods. Trip Hallman of the ranch will discuss how landowners can work with energy companies to benefit their properties.”

After lunch served at the Duff Ranch headquarters, the tour will travel to the Head of the River Ranch, a property Blanek described as being steeped in a rich history.

“This beautiful ranch is where the South Concho River originates from springs bubbling from the rock,” he said. “Ryland Howard and son Anson will discuss the ranch’s considerable history, which includes the beginnings of the American quarter horse. We’ll also hear how the owners plan to pass the ranch down to future generations through well thought out successional plans.”

Other presentations at the ranch will include discussions of establishing riparian buffers, and livestock and wildlife management in the ranch’s riparian areas. Speakers will be Dr. Reid Redden, AgriLife Extension state sheep and goat specialist at San Angelo, and Dr. John Tomecek, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist at Thrall.

“The tour’s last stop is the Christoval Winery, located among the large live oak trees on the South Concho River,” Blanek said. “There participants will end the conference in high style while being treated to a wine production and wine tasting session before traveling back to the convention center in San Angelo.”

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AgriLife Extension’s Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference May 3-4 in San Angelo

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Water conservation, livestock watering options to be discussed

Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

Contact: Josh Blanek, 325-659-6523, j-blanek@tamu.edu

SAN ANGELO — The Texas Water Development Board reports San Angelo’s average annual rainfall as 21.3 inches; that’s 13.27 gallons per square foot a year or 578,037 gallons per acre.

How to make the most of that water, not only to grow forage but also to water livestock and wildlife in a semi-arid climate, will be among several topics discussed May 3-4 during the Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference in San Angelo’s McNease Convention Center, 501 Rio Concho Drive.

The conference is funded by the Ruth and Eskel Bennett Endowment and hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Cost of the two-day conference is $75, which includes all training materials and meals.

Solar-powered pumping systems will be among the topics covered during the Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference May 3-4 in San Angelo. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Steve Byrns)

More information on the trust and conference is available at https://agrilife.org/bennetttrust/ or by contacting Josh Blanek, AgriLife Extension agent in Tom Green County and event coordinator, at 325-659-6523 or j-blanek@tamu.edu.

“Obviously, livestock and wildlife should have access to clean, fresh water every day,” said Dr. Bruce Carpenter, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist at Fort Stockton. “But on ranches that depend solely on the capture of surface water, it becomes more critical during drought. We often hear of livestock being sold, not because the ranch ran out of grass but because it ran out of surface water.”

Carpenter’s talk on ranch water resource development will couple with a solar-powered pump discussion by Charles Swanson, AgriLife Extension landscape irrigation program specialist at College Station.

“West Texas is among the sunniest regions in the nation, making it ideal for solar-powered water well systems,” Swanson said. “Designing and selecting a solar-powered pumping system can be rather simple if you know your pumping needs like pressures and flows. These are easy to learn and will be something I’ll cover during the conference program.”

Blanek said this is the first time the conference will be in San Angelo.

“We’re very excited to have the opportunity to host this event, which will include not only classroom instruction, but a tour to two area ranches to see first-hand conservation practices in action,” Blanek said.

The first day starts at the convention center with breakfast and registration at 8 a.m. followed by the ranch water presentations and talks on livestock guardian dogs, agricultural law issues, prescribed fire, individual brush management practices and ranch rainwater harvesting.

Afternoon topics will include Edwards Plateau geology, integrating livestock and wildlife, and introduced grasses for the region. The day’s activities will end with dinner and entertainment.

The second day will start with a 7:30 a.m. breakfast followed by a ranch tour designed to demonstrate the previous day’s educational efforts. Stops at the Head of the River Ranch and Duff Ranch will include examples of livestock/wildlife compatibility, discussion on water resources, individual plant treatment and prescribed fire, and a look at introduced grasses.

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