Business

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host a Developing a Drought Management Plan meeting for producers in the Roberts County area June 17. The free meeting will begin at 10 a.m.

USDA to invest $15M in the Conservation Innovation Grants program TEMPLE—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is investing up to $15 million to support the development of new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies to further natural-resource conservation on private lands through the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program.

Landry achieves membership in Million Dollar Round Table Landon Landry, a representative for Modern Woodmen of America, is one of a small percentage of financial representatives worldwide to achieve membership in the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) this year. Founded in 1927, MDRT, The Premier Association of Financial Professionals®, is a global, independent association of more than 49,000 of the world’s leading life insurance and financial services professionals from more than 500 companies in 70 countries.

Improving financial security and tackling confusing financial issues will be the focus of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Financial Fitness workshop series, hosted by the agency’s office in Lubbock.

AUSTIN—On Tuesday, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller extended the deadline for receipt of 2021 Family Land Heritage applications to July 1, in an effort to allow families additional time to gather the necessary documents. The TDA’s Family Land Heritage (FLH) program pays tribute to families who have kept their land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years. Eligible farms and ranches must be owned and operated by the descendants of the original founder, either through blood, marriage, or adoption. At least 10 acres of the land must have been in continuous agricultural production for the past 100 years or more. Applications should include land ownership documents that prove continual possession by the descendants of the founder of the property. Families are encouraged to contact their county clerk to locate supporting documents needed. In addition, a family’s completed application and supporting documents must be submitted for certification to the county judge where the property is located. TDA will accept a scanned copy or the electronic signature of the county judge in place of the original signature. For more information or to apply for FLH recognition, go to www.texasagriculture.gov/NewsEvents/FamilyLandHeritage.aspx.

COLLEGE STATION—Booming countryside sales that marked the third and fourth quarters of last year were just a prelude to what’s happened so far in 2021. “In the aftermath of the COVID-induced economic lockdown, 2021 Texas rural land markets have exploded in a burst of activity,” said Dr.

TEMPLE—Scott Buckles of Stratford was re-elected on May 4 to serve another two-year term on the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB). Buckles represents TSSWCB Area I, which consists of 51 counties and 49 soil- and water-conservation districts (SWCDs) in the Panhandle and South Plains region of Texas. Buckles also serves as chairman of the Sherman County Soil and Water Conservation District and has been a member of the board since 1992. Buckles, has been a member of TSSWCB since 2011 and is the managing partner of Buckles Farms. The family operation has been in business since 1917 and currently produces corn, grain, sorghum, wheat, and stocker cattle. He is also the co-owner and operator of a crop and aerial spraying service. When Scott has spare time, he builds and operates a one-eighth scale railroad and enjoys spending time in Red River, New Mexico. Scott and wife Dana have three children, Carson, Haley, and Hunter. Since its beginning, the TSSWCB has been governed by five board members. Each board member is elected delegates from soil- and water-conservation district directors within the state district that the member resides. However, with the enactment of SB 1828 by the 78th Legislature, two governor appointees also serve on the TSSWCB to create a seven-member board.

Today, PTCI announced it is working to help build consumer awareness about the Emergency Broadband Benefit, a new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program. The temporary benefit will help to lower the cost of broadband service for eligible households during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeks public comment on a draft habitat conservation plan (HCP) and draft environmental assessment covering potential impacts to the lesser prairie-chicken from renewable energy development in the Great Plains. The HCP would cover wind and solar project development as well as transmission lines across the lesser prairie-chicken’s (LPC) range in Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.