Free workshop for new landowners Oct. 25 in Castroville
Topics include land-use options, tax benefits, local programs and funding sources
A workshop to help landowners in Medina County understand their property and make informed decisions is slated for Oct. 25 in Castroville.
“Land Smart: A Guide to Small Acreage Stewardship,” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Louis Braden Keller Community Center, 1410 Amelia St.
The free event, which includes breakfast and lunch, is hosted by the Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, and the Medina Valley Soil and Water Conservation District, MVSWCD.
To register, visit tx.ag/landsmart2025, or call 830-426-2521, Ext. 3.
Help for new landowners
The workshop will cover Medina County soils, water and vegetation; land-use options such as livestock, wildlife and beekeeping; tax benefits for agriculture and wildlife exemptions; and local programs and funding sources.
Hands-on demonstrations using a rainfall simulator and watershed model will help participants understand practical conservation methods.
“It is easy to feel overwhelmed with the possibilities of what to do with new property, and many new landowners in the Medina River Watershed are likely wondering, now what?” said Mary Michael Zahed, TWRI program specialist and Medina River Watershed coordinator. “This workshop was designed especially for new landowners and those with 1 to 50 acres of land.”
A panel discussion will feature experts from the MVSWCD, TWRI, Texas Grazing Land Coalition, Wildlife Habitat Federation, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and USDA’s Farm Service Agency.
This is an opportunity for landowners to ask local experts questions about their property and land management options.
“This workshop is designed to inform smaller-acreage landowners of their opportunities, including land management, conservation objectives and tax options,” said Wayne Stein, MVSWCD chair.
Funding for this project is provided in part by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board State as part of a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
TWRI is a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that brings together expertise from across The Texas A&M University System.
For more information, contact Zahed at [email protected] or 979-314-8092.
