Texas Grazing Network - American Farmland Trust

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Texas Grazing Network

Regenerative grazing can be a powerful way to increase resilience to severe weather, like drought stress and flooding, safeguard healthy soil, reduce costly inputs, sequester carbon, and provide grassland habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Yet, ranchers may be skeptical of adopting regenerative grazing practices due to concerns about their profitability and practicality. 

Farmer and rancher-led mentor networks are highly effective at addressing concerns about regenerative practices because they enable peer-to-peer learning based on real-world experience. American Farmland Trust (AFT) is establishing the Texas Grazing Network (TGN) to assist ranchers, especially historically underserved producers, in understanding the benefits of regenerative practices and provide guidance on how to successfully implement those practices on their grazing operations.   

AFT is launching the TGN now and invites producers who are interested in participating either as mentors or mentees to apply.  

Location 

The TGN will focus initially on the North Central Texas area, generally defined as Childress to Sulphur Springs to Waco. If you are close to this region or not sure if you are in the area and are interested in participating, we encourage you to apply. If you are in a different area, we still encourage you to apply or reach out to our team, as the program will expand to other regions of Texas in 2025. 

Key Dates 

AFT will begin considering mentors for the TGN this fall. Initial mentor training will be conducted in person in December. Mentors will begin technical assistance with mentees in early 2025. 

  • August 2024: Applications open for mentors and mentees. 
  • September 30, 2024: Application cut-off for the first cohort of TGN mentors. 
  • October 2024: Mentors selected. 
  • December 2024: Mentees selected and paired with mentors. 
  • December 11-12, 2024: In-person training workshop for TGN mentors. 
  • January 2025: Begin TA with TGN mentees. 
  • April 9, 2025: In-person training workshop for TGN mentors. 
  • June 2025: Begin recruiting mentors and mentees in other regions of Texas. 

How to Participate 

The following sections describe the program requirements and expectations for those interested in participating as mentors or mentees in the TGN. Read through the information about what each position entails and access the application in that page.

Become A Mentor

Mentors with demonstrated experience and leadership in regenerative grazing will provide individualized guidance and support to mentees interested in adopting or improving regenerative grazing on their operations. They will participate in a mentor training program to receive initial training on soil health, adaptive grazing, succession planning, marketing, business resources, and mentorship. Mentors are financially compensated for their time and effort.

Learn More and How to Apply to Become a Mentor

Become a Mentee

Producers who are interested in applying regenerative practices for the first time or expanding their current operations and would like to receive guidance and training from a fellow producer may apply to the TGN program to receive mentorship from a rancher experienced with regenerative production in the same geographic area. Those accepted into the program will be designated as mentees with the overarching objective of learning how to implement regenerative practices appropriate for their operations' needs. 

Learn More and How to Apply to Become a Mentee

Partners 

AFT has partnered with the Texas A&M Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management (CGRM) and the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) to develop and conduct the TGN.  

The CGRM is a Texas A&M University System-wide coordinated effort with the mission of safeguarding the ecologic and economic resiliency of grazing land resources and ranching operations. They are committed to providing innovative and sustainable solutions for the ranching industry. 

TALT conserves the heritage of agricultural lands, natural resources, and wildlife habitats across Texas. They approach this mission through voluntary private partnerships with landowners who share the same vision. They work to keep landscapes intact, implement outcome-driven conservation practices, support strong agriculturally-focused economies, and reconnect Texans to the open spaces that provide food, fiber, water, recreation, and homes for both wildlife and people alike. 

Additional Questions? Contact:

Thanks for your interest in this program! We would be happy to talk to you further. Contact the Texas Grazing Mentor Manager, Evart Outlaw, at eoutlaw@farmland.org with any questions you have about the program.

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