HRM of Texas NEWS & NOTES!

"Catching Raindrops" - 2007 HRM of Texas Annual Meeting - February 9-10, 2007!

Come see how at the HRM Shadow Mountain Ranch Field Day, October 21, 2006 9am-4pm.

Taken from the heart of the old Triple T Ranch, the new Shadow Mountain Ranch is Going Native!

Under new stewardship, land that consists of primarily introduced grasses with a few natives; is being returned to its native prairie grasses for wildlife habitat.

This workshop is for those interested in learning the plans, successes and failures in returning continuously grazed land to native prairie and:

- for those interested in seeing how land fragmentation can be positive

- to exchange ideas, suggestions and to meet people interested in prairie restoration and managing for wildlife

- the beginning steps towards creating a sustainable ranch and way of life by using the principles of Holistic Resource Management (HRM).

This field day will feature several speakers. Owner Sharon Lane will share her vision for the 432 acre ranch. Jay Whiteside (TPWD Technical Biologist) will talk about the Wildlife Mgt. Program, quail, turkey, deer habitat, and the Western Navarro County Quail Restoration Initiative; Sara Ann Schreiber, Coordinator for the North Texas Ecotype Project on locally-adapted native plants; Jimmy Stewart (NRCS) on working with the WHIP (Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program), including shearing, creating habitat, prescribed burning, planting natives and other steps necessary for restoring the habitat; and Heath McLain (Natural Resources Specialist USACOE Navarro Mills Lake Project) to talk about some of the habitat restoration prjects he is working on around Navarro Mills Lake.

The seedball machine will be there (with seedballs for everyone) for a demonstration and talk about the power of seedballs, as well as demonstrations of the tree shear and no-till seeder.

This event is sponsored by HRM of Texas and is open to the public. The ranch is about 22 miles east of Hillsboro and about 15 miles west of Corsicana, near Blooming Grove. Here's the directions to get you there!

Plan to arrive at the ranch at 9 am and leave about 4 pm. Let us know you are coming by October 17 so we can arrange a lunch for you. Registration is $25 for HRM members and $35 for non-members and includes lunch. Register online at www.hrm-texas.org or by calling the HRM office at 512-847-3822 or you may mail your check with your contact information and a note that you are registering for the Shadow Mountain Ranch Field Day to HRM of TX, 5 Limestone Trail, Wimberley, TX 78676

Shadow Mountain Ranch is primitive (by design), so please watch the weather (bring an umbrella or slicker if rain is forecast, or your dancing muckers for dancing in the rain!). Boots are recommended for walking on the land (chigger repellent will be provided) and please bring your own chairs for the noon picnic at the lake.

Learn more about Shadow Mountain Ranch at http://www.shadowmountainranch.com .

The HRM of Texas annual meeting will spotlight the relationship between abundant water and soil surface management. If the land is healthy, there will be abundant water for us all. Mark your calendar for the HRM annual membership meeting to be held in Kerrville on February 9-10, 2007, at Holiday Inn Express.

We will have speakers who will educate us about the water crisis in Texas and how Holistic Management can help solve those water problems. Speakers include Terry Gompert who is a veteran UNL Extension Educator located in Knox County, Nebraska, a pasture specialist and a Certified Educator for Holistic Management. He will be joined by Malcolm Beck, well-known author and speaker for sustainable agriculture from San Antonio, Steve Nelle, Wildlife Biologist for Natural Resources Conservation Service, and David Langford, Vice-President Emeritus of Texas Wildlife Association.

All these speakers will be talking about water issues, range management, and Texas governmental activity on the topic. Come hear how you can help influence water policy in Texas. You do not have to be a landowner, but you need to hear the connection between water and good land management. Make plans to attend this very important meeting about the future for abundant water for Texas. All the topics are serious, but will be presented in a novel and informative way. This meeting is going to be fun, interactive, and motivating. Come spend your time with like-minded people, networking to develop positive water management plans for Texas.

On February 9, 2007, Terry Gompert will teach a workshop on planned grazing and also there will be a Holistic Management Financial Planning workshop, led by Jim & Judy Reed of the award-winning Reed Family Ranch and Holistic Management Certified Educator, Peggy Maddox of the HMI David West Station for Holistic Management. That evening will be the annual membership meeting and social.

Mark your calendars now for February 9 & 10, 2007 - and more details will be coming soon.

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