Thanks to Working Families Tax Cuts Act, USDA Invests $65 Million for Projects that Help Farmers Improve their Operations and Conserve Natural Resources through Science and Innovation

Hunter Williams operates the G Ranch, which rests on the Nolan and Taylor County line in central Texas. Along with his wife, Alexis, and their son, Cole, they are working to improve their property. With assistance from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Texas, they have started implementing management practices, working toward a more productive and profitable operation. The land, purchased by his grandfather in 2000, started as a place to get away.

A recent study led by Saboor Rahmany, Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) program specialist, explores the role of digital communication strategies used by groundwater conservation districts (GCDs) in increasing public engagement in the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer in Texas. To evaluate the inclusiveness of digital communication, the study, coauthored by Allen Berthold, Ph.D., TWRI Associate Director, Kim Dooley, Ph.D., Texas A&M University professor emerita, and Emmanuel Chisom Okolo, Texas A&M University doctoral candidate, developed a conceptual framework that integrates content, accessibility and interactivity.

Texas farmers, ranchers and landowners have a new opportunity to invest in soil health and productivity on their operations through the Texas Conservation & Sustainability Initiative (TCSI). “The Texas Conservation and Sustainability Initiative seeks to do three things and that’s to help producers adopt conservation practices, assess which practices work best across regions and commodities and create long-term value for products grown using those practices,” said Dr. Julie Howe, Texas A&M University soil chemistry and fertility professor.