2024-2025 Model State Program-Texas

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Commodities

• Agronomic: annual ryegrass, clovers, cotton, grass (misc. annual), grass (misc. perennial), grass (turfgrass, sod), hay, medics/alfalfa, millet, oats, peas (field, cowpeas), rice, rye, sorghum (milo), sorghum (sweet), sorghum sudangrass, sunflower, vetches, wheat
• Fruits: berries (brambles), berries (strawberries), citrus, grapes, melons, peaches, persimmon
• Nuts: pecans
• Vegetables: beans, eggplant, greens (leafy), greens (lettuces), lentils, okra, onions, peppers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
• Additional Plants: herbs, native plants, ornamentals, trees
• Animals: bees, bovine, equine, fish, goats, poultry, sheep
• Animal Products: dairy, eggs, fiber, fur, leather, honey, meat

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, aquaculture, feed/forage, feed formulation, feed management, feed rations, free-range, genetics, grazing management, grazing - continuous, grazing - multispecies, grazing - rotational, implants, inoculants, livestock breeding, manure management, meat processing, meat processing facilities, meat product quality/safety, mineral supplements, parasite control, pasture renovation, pasture fertility, preventive practices, range improvement, rangeland/pasture management, stocking rate, stockpiled forages, vaccines, watering systems, winter forage
• Crop Production: agroforestry, beekeeping, conservation tillage, continuous cropping, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, crop rotation, double cropping, drainage systems, drought tolerance, fallow, fertilizers, food processing, food processing facilities/community kitchens, food product quality/safety, forest farming, forestry, forest/woodlot management, greenhouses, high tunnels or hoop houses, intercropping, irrigation, multiple cropping, municipal wastes, no-till, nurseries, nutrient cycling, nutrient management, organic fertilizers, plant breeding and genetics, pollination, pollinator habitat, pollinator health, postharvest treatment, silvopasture, strip tillage, water management, water storage, windbreaks, winter storage
• Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, focus group, mentoring, networking, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, study circle, technical assistance, workshop, youth education
• Energy: bioenergy and biofuels, biofuel feedstocks, byproduct utilization, energy conservation/efficiency, energy use, renewable energy, solar energy, wind power
• Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, agritourism, apprentice/intern training, budgets/cost and returns, business planning, community-supported agriculture, cooperatives, e-commerce, farm-to-institution, farm-to-restaurant, farmers' markets/farm stands, farm succession, financial management, grant making, labor/employment, land access, market study, marketing management, new enterprise development, risk management, value added, whole farm planning
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, carbon sequestration, habitat enhancement, riparian buffers, riverbank protection, soil stabilization, strip cropping, wetlands, wildlife
• Pest Management: biological control, chemical control, competition, cultivation, cultural control, economic threshold, eradication, field monitoring/scouting, genetic resistance, integrated pest management, mulches - general, mulches - living, mulching - vegetative, mulching - plastic, physical control, precision herbicide use, prevention, weather monitoring, weed ecology
• Production Systems: agroecosystems, aquaponics, dryland farming, hydroponics, integrated crop and livestock systems, organic agriculture, organic certification, permaculture, transitioning to organic
• Soil Management: composting, green manures, nutrient mineralization, organic matter, soil analysis, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil physics, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: community development, community planning, community services, employment opportunities, ethnic differences/cultural and demographic change, food access and security, food hubs, food loss and waste recovery/reduction, food sovereignty, infrastructure analysis, leadership development, local and regional food systems, new business opportunities, partnerships, public participation, public policy, quality of life, social networks, social psychological indicators, sustainability measures, urban agriculture, urban/rural integration, values-based supply chains

Texas’ Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Committee meets annually to oversee the state program for training agricultural professionals in concepts of sustainable agriculture.  The program involves a multifaceted effort that provides training opportunities for County Extension Agents, FSA personnel, NRCS personnel, producers, and other agricultural professionals and also incorporates concepts of sustainable agriculture in existing, state-wide training efforts. These training opportunities include conferences, field meetings and workshops held at various locations in Texas.

Another approach of the Texas Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Committee is to support travel of selected professionals to regional and national conferences on sustainable agriculture, with the intent of participants gaining knowledge and skills that they will share with other agricultural professionals in Texas. 

Program evaluation will be accomplished with pre- and post-tests designed to measure knowledge gained by participating in educational programs.  A subset of attendees will be mailed an additional survey instrument four to eight months after the training to determine if participants have adopted any of the sustainable concepts presented. The aim of the evaluation is assessing knowledge gained and to determine whether new knowledge will be applied in future programs for their clientele.

The following training objectives will be accomplished through the training plan also shown below.

1. At least fifteen Agriculture Extension Agents and five NRCS Field Technicians will become knowledgeable about sustainable grazing systems.

1. At least fifteen Agriculture Extension Agents and five NRCS Field Technicians will become knowledgeable about direct on-farm marketing and local foods sales.

1. At least ten Extension Agents and five NRCS Field Technicians will become knowledgeable about organic production of field crops and inform producers of such information related to organic crop production systems.

July     Texas County Agricultural Agents Association Meeting, Dallas

Vanessa Corriher-Olson and John Smith will deliver SARE educational programming and will develop, establish, and staff a booth highlighting SARE educational materials and approaches. 

July     Sustainable Water Quality and Quantity Training; Bowie, Cass, Lamar, Marion and Red River

John Smith will serve on the organizing committee and will deliver sustainable agriculture educational programming based on AC recommendation for Extension agent and mentor farmer education on irrigation water quality and quantity.  John also will deliver programming highlighting sustainable methods and SARE educational approaches.

Aug.    Sheep and Goat Expo, San Angelo

John Smith will deliver rainwater harvesting for sustainable livestock operations educational programming to attending Extension personnel and mentor farmers whose leadership is key to increased adoption of science-based management practices in sustainable and organic enterprises. The training will include SARE Producer Grant and on the Farm Research opportunities.

Aug.    Sustainable Gardening, Edinburg

John Smith will deliver irrigation water quality and private water well management, rainwater harvesting and SARE educational programming to attending Extension, NRCS and Texas Dept. of Agriculture personnel and mentor farmers whose leadership is key to increased adoption of science-based management practices in sustainable and organic operations.

Aug.   Texas Beef Cattle Short Course. A booth will be used to accommodate a display highlighting SARE educational materials and approaches.

Aug.    Cover Crop agent training, Overton

Nelson Daniels will provide SARE educational training to 10 Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension Program agents who will travel to Hempstead from across the state.

Feb.     Fort Bend Regional Vegetable Conference, Rosenberg

Joel Pigg and John Smith will deliver irrigation water quality and private water well management, rainwater harvesting and SARE educational programming to attending Extension, NRCS and Texas Dept. of Agriculture personnel and mentor farmers whose leadership is key to increased adoption of science-based management practices in sustainable and organic operations.

Feb.     Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA) Conference, San Antonio

John Smith will deliver irrigation water quality and private water well management, rainwater harvesting and SARE educational programming to attending Extension, NRCS and Texas Dept. of Agriculture personnel and mentor farmers whose leadership is key to increased adoption of science-based management practices in sustainable and organic operations.

April  Cooperative Extension Program Small Farm Field Day

May   Grass-Fed Beef Training. A booth will be used to accommodate a display highlighting SARE educational materials and approaches.

June   Production, Marketing and Sales of Local Foods Training – Training will focus on food safety for cottage foods, farmers markets, on-site animal processing, and Whole Foods purchasing of locally grown produce.