12-week AgriLife Extension agriculture business and land management course begins Aug. 17
Registration is open for the Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch 12-week online course by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service that will be offered Aug. 17-Nov. 8.
The cost is $300, and online registration is required at tx.ag/GenNextFall26.
The course includes expert instruction on starting a new agriculture business or enterprise, tax implications and insurance needs, developing grazing or wildlife leases and more.
“Across Texas, we’re seeing individuals with varying levels of experience in agriculture or natural resource management inheriting or purchasing agricultural lands,” said Megan Clayton, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Uvalde.
“The Generation Next curriculum is specifically designed to empower these landowners with the knowledge and resources needed to start a new agricultural operation, improve an existing one or manage the land to meet their specific stewardship goals.”
Course format provides adaptability for participants
The online school enables participants to develop a business plan with support from professionals who specialize in each field and topic, Clayton said. Participants can expect to spend roughly two hours per week on lessons and activities and can participate at their convenience.
“The weekly topics were able to be played from my mobile device while I worked in my vines or drove to various locations, which made them all the more enjoyable,” said Craigan Johnson, vineyard owner and recent course graduate.
Enrollees learn about land management techniques and resources, alternative ranching operations, ecotourism opportunities, insurance and tax considerations, direct marketing and more. They will also learn how to set goals with measurable objectives.
While the course caters to new or inexperienced landowners, individuals with established operations also benefit from the curriculum.
Course provides financial and ecological foundation
Since its inception in 2019, the online program has reached more than 1,000 landowners, Clayton said. Improved knowledge is not the only benefit participants can expect.
“On average, participants anticipate the course has an annual economic benefit of about $11,000,” Clayton said.
In addition to business and production-related topics, the course also provides a critical foundation in ecologically and environmentally sound land management.
For more information, contact Clayton at 830-988-6123 or Megan.Clayton@ag.tamu.edu.
