Growing Hope: practical and philosophical impacts of local-cut flower farming
Cut-flowers are unique in their power to connect out stories. We give flowers to comfort loved ones in moments of deep grief and simultaneously to congratulate friends in their moments of great joy. How do flower farms affect their communities and how can growing them transform your community? Hallie will be sharing from her experience as a young entrepreneur in the cut-flower industry and the unexpected rewards of sowing seeds in the ground. She will also be covering the basics of plant health and management of small-scale flower productions.
Ronin Farm & Restaurant
Sharing Ronin’s story including how we got started, a little bit about the company/restaurant, tips that we have learned being in the business, etc.
Pleasure, Perils, Profits, and Pitfalls of Part-time
Peaches (& other fruits)
Many landowners are curious about horticultural crop production as a hobby, sideline business, or agricultural tax exemption project for rural property while also maintaining another career or primary residence elsewhere. Can part-time orchards, vineyards, or other plant production businesses be profitable, even pleasurable? What are the perils and pitfalls of living away from your farm? Can internet technology allow farmers to work remotely? What’s too little, too much? , and too far? Dr. Monte Nesbitt, an Extension Specialist with over thirty-six years of experience working with diverse perennial fruit and pecan growers, and his wife, Carol, an Aggie horticulturist herself (Class of 1993) have a small, part-time peach orchard and second home, quite remote from their primary residence in Aggieland. The Nesbitts will share their experiences—good and bad—from an eight-year effort to bring their collective horticultural knowledge and skill home to a small family farm centered on their enjoyment of fresh fruit and rural living.
From Seedlings to Celebration: Cultivating Success on the Christmas Tree Farm
Discover the ins and outs of running a successful Christmas tree farm. This session will cover best practices for tree cultivation, marketing strategies, and tips for creating a memorable customer experience that keeps families coming back year after year. We will walk through the planning, logistics, financial investments, and potential ancillary options. We will introduce attendees to the Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association and how they can be an asset as you get started in the business.
Are you ready for this……….if and what to plant?
There are many, many things that can be grown in Texas, everything from spinach to pineapple to Texas Superstar plants. It basically comes down to how hard you want to work. Will this be a hobby? Often this is the case, but the challenge we have is that these hobbies often get out of control. One of your greatest challenges will be labor, who is going to do the work. In addition, if you grow it, they will eat it, so varmint considerations are a must. Furthermore, you have 10 peach trees, they each make 25 pounds, what are you going to do with this fruit. These and other considerations will be examined to help you decide if this is really what you want to do?
