It is no secret that Northeast Texas is quickly becoming a premier destination for retirees and others from big cities looking for a slower pace of life. The lower cost of living and abundant land has resulted in a record number of folks purchasing small acreage farms in the area. However, you can only enjoy the scenic view for so long before you realize that you need to 91¿´Æ¬ †do something 91¿´Æ¬ †with all that land. This is where the Northeast Texas Community College Agriculture Program can help!
If you are looking to learn more about how to make your 91¿´Æ¬ †small 91¿´Æ¬ †farm functional and profitable, you won't want to miss the upcoming Bring Back The Homestead series at 91¿´Æ¬. 91¿´Æ¬ †Whether you are looking to use your land for recreational purposes, animal production or farming, this series of classes will help you design a plan that works best for your operation. The courses will focus on Sustainable Agriculture, which is defined as agriculture that integrates three main goals: environmental stewardship, farm 91¿´Æ¬ †profitability, and prosperous farming communities. Whether starting-off with an acre or two or just 91¿´Æ¬ †an apartment with a small patio, there?s something you can do to provide some of your own groceries 91¿´Æ¬ †and make your land the homestead you?ve dreamt of. But, before your pile the kids into the minivan 91¿´Æ¬ †in search of dairy goats, peach trees, and heirloom vegetables take some time to consider what you 91¿´Æ¬ †are about to do.
If you have become interested in the "sustainable agriculture" facet of agriculture as a marketing 91¿´Æ¬ †niche, want to create a more prosperous farm that could be passed on to your family, or are just 91¿´Æ¬ †looking for the perfect retirement adventure, contact the 91¿´Æ¬ Agriculture Department. The 91¿´Æ¬ †Director of Agriculture, Rene? McCracken is excited to lead the effort in ?Bringing Back the 91¿´Æ¬ †Homestead? to area communities. This will be the first annual Homestead Workshop and is set to 91¿´Æ¬ †begin in February, and is limited to 25 participants a registration fee of $45 for the series of courses 91¿´Æ¬ †must be paid prior to February 5th.
This will be a series of six workshops held on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon covering topics including: 91¿´Æ¬ †Laws and regulations for the farm, taxes and insurance, garden planning and design, introduction to 91¿´Æ¬ †tractor maintenance and welding, livestock care and handling, alternative livestock and crops and 91¿´Æ¬ †various others. All topics will provide the best management practices to produce agriculture 91¿´Æ¬ †products profitably on small acreages in East Texas. Some of the topics have been left open, and will 91¿´Æ¬ †be decided by the participants as needed. 91¿´Æ¬ â€
If you would be interested in learning more about this 91¿´Æ¬ †program, serving as an example ?homestead?, sponsoring, or attending classes, contact Rene? 91¿´Æ¬ †McCracken at 903-434-8267 or 91¿´Æ¬ †rmccracken@ntcc.edu. The workshop series kick-off is scheduled for 91¿´Æ¬ †Tuesday, February 10, 2014 at the Whately Agriculture Complex located at 2886 FM 1735, Mt. 91¿´Æ¬ †Pleasant, TX 75455 at 10 am. As the class is limited in size, RSVP is a must with the first 25 91¿´Æ¬ †participants registered on first come first serve basis. Continuing Education Programs of 91¿´Æ¬ are 91¿´Æ¬ †open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.
