SOWTH! Texas Farm Resources

We're honored to be presenting at the big SOWTH conference this week in Atlanta. Our Executive Director Sue Beckwith will be presenting "Resources for Texas Farmers" on Thursday, Feb. 6 during the session "Agribusinesses, Organization, and Cooperatives Making a Difference in Southern Region" hosted by the fabulous E'licia Chaverest from the University of Arkansas.

Sue won't be able to list the many resources during the panel discussion, so here is a more complete list of resources for Texas farmers. Keep in mind this isn't an exhaustive list and let us know if you have additions or changes.

Production

NCAT - soil health, crop selection

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) - land access, microloans for expansion, emergency relief

USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) - hoop houses, emergency relief, conservation funding

Farmshare Austin - farmer training 

Small Producers Initiative

Texas Department of Agriculture - Young farmer grants

Council for Healthy Food systems - production workshops

Grow North Texas - production workshops

Austin Community College Sustainable Agriculture program

UTRGV Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Advancement (SARA)

Selling

TXFED.org - online courses for producers and farmers markets

Texas Local Food Directory - find buyers, sellers, and resources (in development)

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service - find grantees near you

MarketLink SNAP equipment grant and SNAP online grant for direct marketing farmers

USDA Delta Regional Food Business Center East Texas

USDA Colonias Regional Food Business Center

Texas Center for Local Food:

 Farm Business Services and Farmers Market Services

 Quick Reference Guide: Texas Farm Business Funding Opportunities Texas farm business resources

 Texas farm business resources

Policy and Legal

Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance - small farm policy advocacy

Texas Farmers Union

Farm Commons

Community

Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA)

Central Texas Young Farmer Coalition (Austin and surrounding counties)

National Young Farmers Coalition

Grow North Texas - farmer conversations (Dallas)

Grow Local South Texas (Corpus Christi)

Sentli Center for Regenerative Agriculture (Edinburg)

COACT (Fort Worth)

La Semilla Food Center (El Paso area)

Ogallala Commons - My Foodshed (Panhandle)

Other

TXFED.org online course:  News Media Training

TXFED.org online course:  Agritourism training 

Disaster Preparedness and response

USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA)

USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Services (NRCS)

County level office of emergency management (example: Bastrop County)

AgriStress Helpline - wellbeing support

Farm Aid - wellbeing and other resources

Texas Rural Cooperative Center