TOFGA - Beginning Farmer and Rancher

Resources for the Farm Curious

TOFGA welcomes everyone with a farm dream in their heart! We've gathered some Texas-focused resources to help support your educational journey as a beginning producer.

Texas Agricultural Conferences

There's nothing like a room full of like-minded agricultural practitioners, experts, and technical assistance organizations to help jumpstart your agricultural learning journey. Luckily, Texas has lots of opportunities to gather with other producers throughout the year and around the state. Looking forward to seeing you soon at a conference near you!

Location Varies!

Next Conference - Jan. 2027!

Food Summit: A Farmer, Rancher, & Community Event

Edinburg, TX

April

Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems Conference

San Marcos, TX

August

Houston, TX

August

San Angelo, TX

August

College Station, TX

August

Dallas, TX

October

Victoria, TX

October

Athens, TX

November

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Training Programs

Several organizations around the state offer beginning farmer and rancher training series with farm start-up basics and personalized mentorship for new farmers. Each program has a different focus and target audience so check their websites for application details.

Texas Colleges & Universities with Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture Programs

Academic programs can help support some young and beginning farmers as they launch agricultural careers. These Texas programs include certificates, associates, bachelors, and masters degrees with a mix of in-person and virtual modalities. Check out the links for program details!

Institution	Location	Available Programs
Austin Community College	Elgin	A.A.S. Sustainable Agriculture or Farm to Table Entrepreneurship A.S. Agricultural Science Horticulture Level 1 Certificate Continuing Education Courses
East Texas A&M University	Commerce, Dallas	B.S. Sustainable Ag & Food Systems
Northeast Texas Community College	Mount Pleasant	A.A.S. Agriculture and Regenerative Agriculture A.S. Agriculture
Prairie View A&M University	Prairie View	B.S. in Agriculture, Concentrations in Plant & Soil Sciences, Natural Resources & Environmental Science M.S. Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
Sam Houston State University	Virtual	M.Ag. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Environment
Tarrant County College	Fort Worth	A.A.S. Horticulture Certificates in Horticulture, Plant Health, Hort. Business Continuing Education Courses
Texas A&M University	College Station	B.S., M.S/M.Ag., and PhD in a variety of agricultural concentrations
Texas State University	San Marcos	B.S. Agriculture with Regenerative Concentrations in Agronomy & Crop Science, Range Management, Soil Science & Soil
Texas Tech University	Fredericksburg, Virtual	Sustainable Small Farms Certificate Program
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	Edinburg, Brownsville	B.S. Sustainable Ag & Food Systems M.S. Agricultural, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences

Other Educational Resources

Trainings and Workshops

Several Texas organizations offer trainings and workshops that are perfect for beginning farmers and ranchers.

Check out the Texas Organizations resource page for more options near you! You can also stay in the loop by following TOFGA on social media or joining our monthly newsletter!