By Rod Santa Ana
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has scheduled a series of educational programs throughout the Coastal Bend region to help agricultural producers make informed decisions about the new 2014 farm bill.
Classes are free and include information on using online decision tools from the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University, according to AgriLife Extension experts.
“There are a lot of moving parts to the new farm bill, and farmers will have to give careful consideration electing which type of program they choose,” said Dr. Joe Outlaw, an AgriLife Extension economist and co-director of the center in College Station.
“The online decision-aid tool will help producers and landowners choose the program option that best suits their operation,” Outlaw said. “These choices are complex, though the decision aid will help reduce some of potential confusion by educating producers of the possible future outcomes of the numerous program options on their respective farms.”
Outlaw said the decision aid, available at http://usda.afpc.tamu.edu/ , will help producers decide which options are best for them.
Dr. Levi Russell, AgriLife Extension economist in Corpus Christi, said four educational programs will be held throughout the region during October.
“We’ll have AgriLife Extension specialists discuss relevant issues in the farm bill, and we’ll demonstrate the use of the online decision tool,” he said. “Registration at each event will be at 8:30 a.m. and the classes will be held from 9-11 a.m.”
Dates and locations include:
- Oct. 7, Bay City Civic Center, 201 7th St., Bay City.
- Oct. 14, Knights of Columbus Hall, 703 Columbus St., Wallis.
- Oct. 22, The South Texas Farm and Ranch Show, Victoria Community Center, 2905 E. North St., Victoria.
- Oct. 28, Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds, 1213 Terry Shamise Blvd., Robstown.
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