Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu
Contacts: Erin Kimbrough, 979-847-6185, Erin.Kimbrough@ag.tamu.edu
Makenzie McLaurin, 979-862.1913, Makenzie.McLaurin@ag.tamu.edu
SAN ANTONIO – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the agency’s Texas AgrAbility program will present a farm tour and agriculture business workshop June 29-30 in San Antonio in collaboration with Mesquite Field Farm.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service helps military veterans and others with information and resources on farming and ranching. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)
“The farm tour and workshop are part of our Battleground to Breaking Ground Project,” said Erin Kimbrough, AgriLife Extension specialist for family and community health, College Station. “These are designed for military veterans, but individuals with disabilities, beginning farmer and ranchers, and anyone interested in starting an agricultural business can benefit from attending.”
Both the tour and workshop are free courtesy of a sponsorship by Capital Farm Credit and the Alamo Soil and Water Conservation District.
The June 29 farm tour and networking portion of the two-day program will be from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Mesquite Field Farm, 501 S. Oak Ave. in Nixon.
“We will be touring Mesquite Field Farm, a local farm that produces grass-fed beef and specialty crops,” Kimbrough said. “Doug Havemann, who is a military veteran and the owner/operator of the farm, will be sharing his experience as a veteran farmer/rancher in Texas, along with the methods he utilizes to produce and sell his products.”
She said topics to be addressed on the tour will include intensive rotational grazing, benefits of rotational grazing, direct-to-consumer marketing, grazing planning, soil health and grass-fed beef health.
The June 30 program will be the Battleground to Breaking Ground agricultural workshop from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the William R. Sinkin Eco Centro, 1802 N. Main Ave. in San Antonio.
Workshop sessions will address agricultural business startup, business plan development, possibilities for farming or ranching with a disability, financial funding sources for farming/ranching, marketing resources and how to access resources that support agricultural business operations.
Tour and workshop attendees must register by June 25 at http://txagrability.tamu.edu/workshops/.
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