Texas State Small Producers Initiative to host 2026 Grazing School: Building Resilience

 SAN MARCOS, Texas — Texas State University’s Small Producers Initiative (SPI) will host its annual Grazing School for ranchers of all experience levels who are interested in improving skills in regenerative ranching. The three-day event, “Building Resilience,” will take place on campus and at local ranches July 31–Aug. 2.

The Grazing School is a unique educational offering that brings together the three leading organizations in regenerative agriculture education nationally: Holistic Management International (HMI), Understanding Agriculture, and the Noble Research Institute. The three organizations will collectively provide instruction at the workshop. Each is renowned for their dedication to supporting producers in building resilient, profitable agricultural enterprises and will share firsthand knowledge and proven strategies they’ve used to help producers successfully implement regenerative practices across diverse landscapes.

Mornings will begin with an experiential field day at a working ranch, where the collaborating organizations will provide demonstrations and hands-on exercises with partnering host ranchers. Afternoon classroom sessions will be held at TXST and include cutting-edge perspectives on essential topics such as: understanding soil health and ecosystem function, grazing planning, water management and strategies for drought, herd structuring, genetics and performance, infrastructure design, and business management for a variety of livestock enterprises.

The 2026 Grazing School is being offered as a pre-conference workshop for the annual Southern Family Farmers & Food Systems Conference (SFFFS), which immediately follows the workshop on Aug. 3–4 at the LBJ Student Center at TXST. 

The conference is hosted by SPI each year in partnership with the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA) and the Council for Healthy Food Systems (CHFS). It brings together more than 500 farmers and ranchers, students, local food advocates and a diverse network of agricultural organizations, agencies, institutions, and educators from across Texas. The conference features practical, high-quality education across seven learning tracks and includes an exhibit hall, networking events, and community-building opportunities.

Registration, sponsorship and financial aid information for both the Grazing School workshop and main SFFFS conference can be found at: www.southernfamilyfarmersconference.org

About the Small Producers Initiative

The Small Producers Initiative is a program within the Department of Agricultural Sciences at Texas State University providing outreach, training and extension for farms and ranches. While their primary focus is on small and mid-sized producers in Texas, SPI supports producers of any size and production method and is especially interested in assisting historically underserved farmers and ranchers and those who are pursuing regenerative production practices. For more information, visit www.smallproducersinitiative.txst.edu.

About Texas State University
Founded in 1899, Texas State University is among the largest universities in Texas with an enrollment of more than 40,000 students on campuses in San Marcos and Round Rock. Texas State’s 251,000-plus alumni are a powerful force in serving the economic workforce needs of Texas and throughout the world. The abbreviation for Texas State University is TXST.

 

 

USDA Launches New Online Scheduling Tool to Better Serve Farmers and Ranchers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is putting farmers first by offering them a new option to schedule appointments online with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. Following a successful pilot program, FSA is now using a digital appointment platform across the agency to allow producers to make farm program or farm loan appointments online at their convenience. 

“Farmers and ranchers work around the clock and should be able to schedule appointments with their local offices at their convenience,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “This new online scheduling option gives producers another way to connect with their local FSA office to access the programs and services they depend on. It's one more step in our commitment to putting farmers first.”

Producers can schedule appointments through FSA’s digital platform, Microsoft Bookings, using a mobile device, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. To assist producers in finding their local FSA office to make an appointment, FSA has also launched a new FSA County Office locator that is searchable by state and by county. Each county office contact page has a unique link for producers to make an appointment online and shows contact information for the local FSA office and the farm loan team. Appointments may be in-person or virtual with the local FSA office depending on producer preference.   

Producers can conveniently schedule appointments for a variety of services with both farm program and farm loan staff. The Bookings-based system will automatically send a confirmation email to the producer along with reminder emails for upcoming appointments. Producers still have the option to call or visit their local FSA office in person to make an appointment.   

For more information, producers can contact their local FSA office.