Last Updated on September 2, 2022 by Danielle McDonald
Strengthening the Beekeeping Industry in Texas
With the assistance of an agricultural consulting company, a group of beekeeping specialists have created resources to better equip those in a position to teach, mentor, and train new Texas beekeepers as well as youth interested in apiculture.
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Professional Development Program Grant funds this project. Its objective is to improve the beekeeping industry of Texas. Despite being abundant in beekeeping resources, there is a lack of applicability in Texas due to different factors, including climate challenges and unclear management practices.
The researchers from AgriLogic Consulting, LLC, Texas AgrifLife Extension Service, Texas Beekeeper Association, and Texas Apiary Inspection Services have created a website to streamline and organize electronic curriculum. The agricultural extension personnel to mentor future generations of beekeepers can use this as their guide.
Texas Beekeeping 101: Your Resource for Raising Honey Bees In Texas gives basic information about beekeeping, an event calendar, and youth education and resources. People can find a large part of the website containing Texas beekeeping curriculum, mainly centered around honey bee biology, equipment, bee yard setup and safety, hive management, pests and diseases, and marketing.
This website is extremely user friendly, and it is organized so that new beekeepers are able to pick and choose the topics they want without having to go through irrelevant information. It was also designed to appeal to visual learners who prefer diagrams, videos, and photos instead of reading long paragraphs of text. Furthermore, the website provides information that will be useful to all interested parties, including youth who are interested in apiculture, beekeepers new and old, as well as extension agents.
Texas Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is a professional training program that is sponsored by the Southern Region SARE and coordinated by Texas A&M University and Prairie View A&M University. Their collaboration aims to provide a program to improve the state’s environmental, social, and economic sustainability through education and research. Texas SARE works with producers, researchers, extension faculty, and community groups to research and implement the best science-based practices in every aspect of the agricultural system of Texas. Furthermore, SARE provides education in sustainable agriculture through a variety of training each year.
You can also read more about Farm Certifications – SARE Southern.
- $10.8 million in funding since 1988
- 129 projects funded since 1988
Professional Development Program
In each state, agricultural educators work directly alongside farmers and ranchers to promote sustainable agriculture production and marketing. SARE state agricultural coordinators offer support in sustainable agriculture education and outreach strategies through a program called “The Professional Development Program” (PDP).
The Sustainable Agriculture Fellows Program is offered by SARE and NACAA. It enhances Cooperative Extension staff’s knowledge of sustainable agriculture and gives them broad-based national exposure to unique and successful sustainable agriculture programs.
SARE State Coordinators play a vital role in expanding sustainable agriculture training for Extension, NRCS and other agricultural professionals. This will help producers transition to a more sustainable farming system.
Extension Professor and Forage Specialist
Texas A&M University
Email | (903) 834-6191
AgNR Cooperative Extension Program
Prairie View A&M University
Email | (936) 261-5112
SARE Funded Projects in Texas
Southern SARE provides grant possibilities for individuals or institutions across the Southern region. Below is a comprehensive list containing the currently funded SARE projects in Texas. You may search the Project Database to find complete reports on Texas’ previously funded projects. Before you apply for a grant, it is helpful to read through the reports in order to understand the types of projects SARE funds and supports.
Large Systems Grants
- LS17-286 Long-term Agroecosystems Research and Adoption in the Texas Southern High Plains – Phase III
Research and Education Grants
- LS20-343 Toward Culturally Responsive Disaster Management for Limited-Resource Producers: The role of person, place and professional agencies
- LS20-341 Assessing Water Use Efficiency, Soil Health, and Pollinators Within a Transition from Irrigation to Dryland Management in the Texas High Plains
- LS19-313 Organic and Conventional Agriculture: Learning from Each Other to Promote Soil Health and Economic Viability in West Texas
- LS19-312 Regional Food Transportation for Texas Farmers
- LS18-288 A Southern Regional Water Conference to Improve Producer Adoption of Sustainable Water Management Practices
- LS17-283 Developing Organic Cropping Systems for Grain Production in Texas
- LS17-277 Indicators and Soil Conservation Practices for Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration
Professional Development Program Grants
- ES20-151 Beekeeping Curriculum and Training for Texas Agricultural Extension Agents and 4-H Youth Leaders
- ES19-147 Training Texas County Extension Agents and Mentor Ranchers to Improve Small Ruminant Health and Productivity Through Natural Genetic Selection Strategies
- ES18-142 Promotion and Adoption of Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Texas: Training the Trainers
- FS19-312 Tagasaste: A new feed source for West Texas
- FS18-306 Subsoiling: An affordable and effective water and soil conservation strategy
On-Farm Research Grants
- OS20-139 Incorporating Native Plants in Insectary Strips to Promote Insect Diversity and Below Ground Beneficial Microbes
- OS20-138 Strategic Management of Legume Cover-Forage Crops to Optimize Utility in a Challenging Environment
- OS19-131 Advancing the Frontier of Legume Cover Crops and Building Integrated System Resilience in Semi-arid West Texas
- OS19-128 Sustainable Pasture Management in Texas: Optimizing forage production and nutrient use in various environments and soils
- OS18-121 Integrating Cover Crops as Potential Weed and Pest Management Strategy in Organic Vegetable Farms in South Texas
- OS18-119 Supporting Alternative Crop Options Through Improved Fertility Recommendations for Canola in Central and South Texas
Graduate Student Grants
- GS19-211 Roadblocks to Success: Needs assessment of small producers in Texas
- GS19-209 Improving Resilience, Sustainability and Nutritional Properties of Specialty Crops Using Composted Spent Coffee Grounds
- GS19-198 The Success of Organic and Other Sustainable Dual-purpose Wheat Systems Depend on Access to Adapted Varieties
- GS18-196 Effects of Cumulative Cattle Trampling on Soil Bulk Density and Infiltration of Rain Water on an Annual Forage Crop Pasture
- GS18-179 Developing Suitable Cover Crop Systems for South Texas: Evaluating different late-summer and winter cover crop species
You can see more Farm Grants for Females elsewhere on this website.