Designed for women, program topics include water management, estate planning
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Women’s Conference on Oct. 5-6 in Fredericksburg.
The conference will be held at the Inn on Baron Creek, 308 S. Washington St. Cost is $125, and online registration is available at tx.ag/2026BennettTrust. The deadline to register is Oct. 1.
While the event is organized with women landowners in mind, it is open to everyone. For more information, email bennett-trust@ag.tamu.edu.
About the program
The Bennett Trust was established through an endowment provided by Eskel and Ruth Bennett to AgriLife Extension through the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The endowment’s goal is to help improve and protect the region’s valuable natural resources.
This conference offers practical, region-specific education for landowners in the Edwards Plateau. Through expert-led sessions, participants gain tools for effective land stewardship, covering topics such as brush control, prescribed fire, water management, estate planning, livestock management and other resource management topics.
Three general Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered. Additionally, real estate continuing education credits will be available.
On the agenda
Topics and speakers include:
- The land between us: Women, family dynamics and the future of stewardship — Brittany Wegner, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, program manager and host of The Land Steward Podcast, Bryan-College Station.
- Challenges affecting the future of ranching — Morgan Treadwell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, San Angelo.
- Estate planning — Tiffany Lashmet, J.D., AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist and professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Canyon.
- Conservation easements — Chad Ellis, attorney, Marrs Ellis and Hodge LLP, Austin.
- Texas Well Owner Network — Joel Pigg, AgriLife Extension program specialist and Texas Well Owner Network coordinator, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA-NRCS, financial assistance — Dandy Kothmann, resource team leader for USDA-NRCS, Mason.
- Eminent domain — Claire Elliott, marketing coordinator, Braun and Gresham Attorneys at Law, Austin.
- Data centers — Nathan Yates, J.D., attorney, Braun and Gresham Law firm.
- The next generation of family ranchers — Megan Clayton, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist and professor, Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management.
