Join Texas AgrAbility and BattleGround to Breaking Ground for a 5-part agriculture business virtual conference. Sessions will be hosted on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:00 pm cst as a webinar. Registrants will be sent a link to join the webinar prior to the start time. All sessions will be recorded for later viewing. The registration fee covers all sessions.
Sessions will include:
June 23, 2020 – Navigating the Obstacle Course of Farming and Ranching: A Producer’s Perspective
Agriculture producers Doug Havemann (co-owner of Mesquite Field Farm and Army Veteran) and Damon Cleaton (co-owner of 4E Farms and Army Veteran) share their experience starting an agricultural operation in Texas. They will highlight helpful resources, educational programs, and opportunities for veterans and beginning farmers and ranchers. Makenzie Thomas, Texas AgrAbility Program Coordinator will also share resources and helpful equipment for farming and ranching.
June 25, 2020 – Resources for Farmers and Ranchers
Erin Kimbrough (BattleGround to Breaking Ground Program Manager) will share financial resources and programs available for farmers and ranchers. Topics will include USDA loans and programs, Texas Department of Agriculture grants and programs, Farmer Veteran Coalition, and much more.
June 30 2020 – Agriculture Business Planning
Dr. Greg Clary (Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship consultant and retired Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Economist) will present on agriculture business planning, tips for creating a business plan, and helpful information to get you started.
July 2, 2020 – Community of Interest in Agriculture Business
Participants will be broken into groups based on areas of agriculture production and led through an activity to discover resources, helpful tips, information sharing, and connections to other agriculture producers.
July 7, 2020 – Training Programs for Veterans and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
This session will highlight training programs available for military veterans and beginning farmers and ranchers. Speakers include: Tyler Froberg – Farm Manager of Hope Farms, Margo Hale – Armed to Farm Program Director, Kevin Cody – New Entry Sustainable Farming Project Farmer Training Program Manager, Erin Kimrbough – BattleGround to Breaking Ground Program Manager.
Join us for a free webinar with Texas A&M Food Safety Education Program Associate Julie Prouse. Texas Cottage Food Law allows the sale of foods that are prepared in residential homes as long as gross sales do not exceed $50,000 annually. The webinar will cover the basics of cottage food law, rules and regulations, and which items are covered under the law.
When: Apr 16, 2020 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://agrilifeextension.zoom.us/meeting/register/uJYlc-yqrDgp1RpgAo_abcY25RdP2CrDOw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Topic: Battleground to Breaking Ground Applicant Webinar
Description: Webinar to discuss the BattleGround to Breaking Ground program and its application process. This webinar will cover the requirements to be accepted into the BGBG program and go through the actual application steps.
Interested in starting a rural natural resource based business? Wanting to supplement your farm’s income with something more? Join us for the “Ideas for Starting Rural Agriculture Businesses” webinar. Dr. Greg Clary, business consultant with the Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, will present on ideas for starting rural businesses. As a retired Texas A&M AgriLife Economist, he has over 30 years of experience helping individuals start and expand their rural agriculture and natural resource based businesses.
Register here for the webinar: https://agrilifeextension.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0td-igqTkpaHHOjr9hpQA4ICUF7ZUSxA
Instructions on joining the webinar will be sent upon registration.
The webinar will be recorded and posted for later viewing on the Texas AgrAbility YouTube channel. This webinar is made possible by a grant from USDA NIFA.
Winter supplementation and feeding is an important part of ruminant nutrition. How do you know what and how much to feed? Dr. Travis Whitney, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Associate Professor of Livestock Nutrition, will present on basics of ruminant nutrition, how to purchase feed, and determining how much feed you need.
Register for the webinar here: https://agrilifeextension.zoom.us/meeting/register/uJAude-hpzgpmgcrTOYi_v3wF8nMK7SuqA
Instructions on joining the webinar will be sent upon registration.
The webinar will be recorded and posted for later viewing on the Texas AgrAbility YouTube channel. This webinar is made possible by a grant from USDA NIFA.
Description:
Wanting to start a garden and just not quite sure how? Want to learn what grows in your area? Bring your garden gloves and be prepared to get dirty. We will be planting a small garden and covering topics related to planning and planting a garden whether for personal use or large enough to sell vegetables at a farmers market.
Topics Covered:
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- Deciding on what to plant
- Determining garden layout
- Companion / Ally vegetables
- Soil Testing
- Pests
Hands On Skills:
- Pairing Companion/Ally vegetables
- Planting a garden
Workshop cost is $50 which includes breakfast, lunch, and drinks for both days.
Please make sure to wear something comfortable (with long pants and closed toe shoes) and bring some gardening gloves as we will be outdoors on a working farm.
Click here for Flyer
Description:
Looking to learn how to help improve the soils in your pasture? Not sure what kind of cover crops would provide forage for your livestock and help your soil? Trying to manage your land in a more holistic manner? Wanting to learn how to use a tractor and a No Till Drill to overseed your pastures? Plan to attend this workshop and add new tools to your knowledge base and perhaps a new skill.
Topics Covered:
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- Soil Testing
- Seed Selection
- Tractor and Implement Safety
Hands On Skills Taught:
- No Till Drill Seeding
- Seed Selection
Workshop cost is $50 which includes breakfast, lunch, and drinks for both days.
Please make sure to wear something comfortable (with long pants and closed toe shoes) as we will be outdoors on a working farm.
Description:
Poultry Summit with industry leaders discussing breeds, animal husbandry, legal considerations, alternative feeds, chicken tractor build, and on farm poultry processing
During this training session you will learn from industry experts the following information:
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- The law related to raising and processing chickens on your farm
- What breeds work best in this area
- How to take care of and manage the health of your flock
- How to grow your own food or fodder for your chickens
- What feeds to purchase if you are not growing your own feeds
- How to build a Suscovich style chicken tractor
- How to process chickens on your farm
Skills Taught:
- Husbandry
- Alternative feeds
- Breed choice
- Construction
- Processing
- Food safety and handling practices
Description:
Join us for a Chicken 101 workshop in Coryell County (Flat), Texas. This workshop is a two-day workshop designed to provide information about chickens and is open to all producers.
Workshop sessions will include:
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- Basic Chicken Breeds
- Basics of Raising Chickens
Participants will learn the basic concepts of chicken breeds, raising chickens, processing chickens, and building a chicken tractor.
Skills Taught:
- Husbandry
- Breed Choice
- Farm Infrastructure development
- Processing
- Food Safety & Handling
Workshop cost is $50 which includes breakfast, lunch, and drinks for both days.
Birds processed at the workshop are available for purchase for $15 a bird. If you plan to purchase a processed bird, please bring a cooler for transport home after the workshop. Also, please only 1 pre-purchase of a processed bird to allow everyone an opportunity to purchase a bird. Participants will be able to purchase additional processed birds depending on available birds at the end of the workshop.
Please make sure to wear something comfortable (with long pants and closed toe shoes) and warm as we will be outdoors.
