Small Acreage-Big Opportunities

As land ownership changes in Texas, finding ways for landowners who manage smaller pieces of land to do so with a stewardship ethic becomes more important.

Article by AMANDA GOBELI Photo courtesy of TWA

In February, TWA and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension hosted a working group with a single goal: to make our Small Acreage – Big Opportunity program more relevant and impactful to its target audience.

The program, nicknamed SABO for short, began in 2020. It aims to support small-acreage landowners in their efforts to practice stewardship that promotes healthy, functional ecosystems across Texas.

Although the SABO programs held so far, including both in-person and virtual events, have received high praise from attendees, there is always room for improvement. To help uncover these opportunities, we brought together partners from a variety of organizations including Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, the Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Gulf Coast Joint Venture, 100 Ranchers, and others for a total of 16 participants.

Using the Conservation Standards planning process, the work group identified key barriers preventing effective steward-ship on small acreages and potential strategies for addressing those barriers. The discussion was eye-opening not just for SABO, but for conservation outreach and education as a whole.

Thanks to everyone who shared their time and expertise as part of the working group. SABO attendees can look forward to seeing the working group's feedback implemented in future sessions.