12-week AgriLife Extension agriculture business and land management course begins Aug. 25
Registration is open for the Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch 12-week online course offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Aug. 25-Nov. 16. (Courtney Sacco/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Cost is $300, and online registration is required at https://tx.ag/GenNext.
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 who may or may not have 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.”
Getting started with a business plan
The online school enables participants to work toward developing 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 that can be completed at any time throughout the week.
“We realize participants have busy schedules, so we designed the course with flexibility in mind,” Clayton said. “There are no specific meeting times, so lessons and exercises can be completed at your convenience.”
Enrollees will learn from experts regarding 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 for success.
While the course caters to new or inexperienced landowners, individuals with established operations also benefit from the curriculum.
Upon course completion, participants will have a useful business plan for their operation and receive a Generation Next certificate and T-shirt.
The course provides a financial and ecological foundation
Since its inception in 2019, the online program has reached more than 700 landowners, and 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.
