Building Your Backyard Homestead
It is no secret that our rural Cherokee County is quickly becoming one of the premier “bedroom communities” for cities like Houston and Dallas. In fact, due to the housing bubble burst, several communities in the East Texas Region have become surrounded by small tracts of land (5 to 25 acres) owned by individuals that are retired or have careers outside of production agriculture.
Some of these new neighbors have managed to find the best kept secret in Texas (The County Extension Office) and have made their property a “homestead” thanks to information and education provided through extension. However, still others along with “native” small acreage landowners desire to develop small-scale agricultural enterprises or utilize the land for recreational purposes and have little understanding on how to go about it. Most have become interested in sustainable agriculture. As it is defined as agriculture that integrates three main goals: environmental stewardship, farm profitability, and prosperous farming communities.
Whether starting-off with an acre or two or just an apartment with a small patio, there’s something you can do to provide some of your own groceries and make your land the homestead you’ve dreamt of. But, before your pile the kids into the minivan in search of dairy goats, peach trees, and heirloom vegetables take some time to consider what you are about to do.
If you have become interested in the "sustainable agriculture" facet of agriculture as a marketing niche, want to create a more prosperous farm that could be passed on to your family, or are just looking for the perfect retirement adventure, contact the Cherokee County Extension Office. The Cooperative Extension Program, Prairie View A&M and Cherokee County Small Farms Agent, Rene’ McCracken are excited to lead the effort in “Bringing Back the Homestead” to area communities. The Homestead Workshop is set to begin this March, and is limited to 25 participants. This will be a series of workshops covering topics including: Laws and regulations for the farm, taxes and insurance, garden planning and design, introduction to tractor maintenance and welding, livestock care and handling, and various others. All topics will provide the best management practices to produce agriculture products (profitably) on small acreages in East Texas. Some of the topics have been left open, and will be decided by the participants as needed. If you would be interested in learning more about this program, serving as an example “homestead”, sponsoring, or attending classes, contact Rene’ McCracken at 903-683-5416 or lrmccracken@ag.tamu.edu. The workshop series kick-off is scheduled for Saturday, March 6, 2010 at the Cherokee County Extension Office in Rusk on 165 E. Sixth Street at 10 am.
