COLUMBUS — The Multi-County New Landowner Education program will host a series of nine informational meetings, seminars and field days beginning in January, according to Kara Matheney, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent in Colorado County.

The series is designed to educate new landowners in Austin, Colorado, Fayette and Washington counties about the different types of agricultural enterprises that may work well for their property and their goals, she said.

Meetings will be the third Friday of each month, January through May plus August and November. They will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will alternate among the four counties. Exactly locations will be determined soon.

Participants will hear from experts in various fields of agriculture about the best management practices to implement.

“This innovative program assists new landowners in understanding the concepts of rural living,” Matheney said. “Participants are exposed to ideas about raising livestock and horses, plant identification, fence building, applying pesticides, soil testing, stock pond management, pond construction, fruit and nut production, and much more.”

The program also serves as a way for new residents of the four counties to network and meet new people in their communities, and to find out what can be done on their land, what operations can be profitable, and possibly what opportunities they have to serve the community, she added.

The cost for the program series is $75 per person or $125 per couple for all nine meetings or $15 per person per meeting.  Continuing education units for pesticide applicators will be given at each meeting, and refreshments will be served.  Participants also will receive a notebook with supporting information.

For more information, contact Matheney at 979-732-2082, kjmatheney@ag.tamu.edu; Larry Pierce, 979-277-6212, lw-pierce@tamu.edu; Scott Willey, 979-968-5831, sawilley@ag.tamu.edu; Philip Shackelford, 979-865-2072, p-shackelford@tamu.edu.

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