Event set for Oct. 5-6 in Fredericksburg
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Larry Redmon, 979-845-4826, l-redmon@tamu.edu
Dr. Rick Machen, 830-278-9151, r-machen@tamu.edu
FREDERICKSBURG – Women may not be in the majority when it comes to landowners in Texas, but they are certainly a growing number. And, one the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service would like to reach with targeted education, according to agency experts.
“Women – Taking the Reins in Natural Resource Management,” a two-day conference for women landowners in the Edwards Plateau, will take place Oct. 5-6 at the Inn on Barons Creek in Fredericksburg.
The conference, funded by the Ruth and Eskel Bennett Endowment, is an effort to reach those women who are becoming landowners through inheritance or other means, said Dr. Larry Redmon, co-chair and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Bennett Trust specialist in College Station.
“There are so many women becoming owners and managers of property these days, we felt it was important to address some of their educational needs,” Redmon said.
“One of the most common questions from new women managers relates to finances,” he said. “We will be addressing that with discussions regarding estate planning, financial literacy for women, and obtaining and maintaining the 1-D-1 Open Space Land tax valuation.”
A panel of successful women land managers will be on hand to share their experiences and answer questions regarding land management, ranging from cattle operations to wildlife management, Redmon said. There also will be discussions regarding state and federal agencies with financial assistance for landowners.
Cost of the two-day conference is $75 and includes all meals, break refreshments and tour transportation costs. Hotel rooms are available at the Inn on Barons Creek for $99 per night under the Bennett-TAMU group code.
Dr. Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist from Uvalde, said the conference will include wildlife biologists, animal scientists, range scientists, estate attorneys and financial planners.
Other topics the first day will include: the history of Hill Country plants, animals and early people, managing brush and understanding cattle markets. Machen will discuss land stewardship in the Edwards Plateau, and the day will conclude with identification of agencies that can provide financial assistance for ranch ownership.
On Day Two, attendees will load buses and tour an experimental orchard with olives, citrus, pomegranates, grapes, peaches and apricots; Hillside Beef, a natural Wagu-influenced beef ranch; and a sheep and goat ranch.
Lunch at the Chisholm Trail Winery will include a presentation on ecotourism and marketing natural resources. It will be followed by a second stop aimed at plant identification, demonstrations on how to manage brush species using individual plant treatment strategies and a mock prescribed burn, Redmon said.
For more information, contact Redmon at l-redmon@tamu.edu, Machen at r-machen@tamu.edu or an AgriLife Extension agent in the region.
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