Students Of Stewardship - TSSRM

08/10/2026

We are almost at the end of the "Dog Days of Summer." According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Dog Days span July 3 to August 11 — 40 days following the summer solstice. These are traditionally the hottest weeks of the year, and this year is no exception! It's a good time for inside work in the afternoon, and going through more photos from the 2026 Students of Stewardship. This was a great group of students and I look forward to following their progress in year's to come!

07/04/2026

06/14/2026

Our iNaturalist Bio blitz project for the week.

06/13/2026

And that's a wrap! We ended the week with a morning at 101 Ranch Company. Starting with a Rx burning brush piles mini-workshop led by the range legend himself, Mark Moseley! The weather was perfect for burning (as confirmed by a phone call to the fire weather forecaster in San Angelo.) While watching the burn, Anita Gilson of Audubon Texas shared a bit about the Audubon Conservation Ranching Bird Friendly Beef certification the ranch received this year. After the fire, NRCS District Conservationist Mandi Ligon joined the party for an overview of twenty years of conservation cooperation between the ranch and NRCS. By late morning, the weather was still perfect and we joined Dr. Silverio Avila and Dr. Humberto Perotto's graduate students using drone technology to estimate forage production. The grad students were happy to let our Students of Stewardship enjoy all the clipping work on the first drone flight!
Families met us at the ranch house for hamburgers and Mikulik sausage and to recount a very FULL week of adventures. Grateful to the families for sharing their students and ALL those following and the support shown for this program. We couldn't do it without everybody involved!

06/13/2026

Glad to have Matt join us Tuesday morning!

06/13/2026

Angelo State University Ranch and MIR Center (Management, Instruction & Research) was our trip on Thursday. Dr. Cody Scott and ranch manager Cody Riddle led a discussion and a hands-on demonstration of low-stress livestock handling using recently weaned calves. Meats Lab manager Wesley Rogge led a tour of the meats lab and pulled three carcasses for evaluation and discussion. Alligare representative and ASU Alumnus James Jackson challenged students to determine efficacy of different herbicide treatments on several plots he has overseen in recent years. Dr. Scott and Dr. Camille Carey took us to areas of riparian restoration and pastures showing the vegetation response to management practices including the ranch's grazing plan. Over wonderful boxed lunches from Shana's Bakery, we visited with Wade Perks. Wade is the current president of the Texas Hereford Association and an alumnus of TCU Ranch Management Program. An intense day but overflowing with good discussion, activities and opportunities!

06/12/2026

This week is a whirlwind and I'm getting behind posting photos! Wednesday we visited the Law Ranch in Shackelford and Stephens County. Owned and operated by Ann Harwood and her sister, the ranch has been if their family for generations, A few years ago, Ann began working with Ryan Walser on restoring the ranch to it's native range glory using prescribed fire and targeted grazing. TCU Ranch Management professor Lee A. Knox and TXGLC firecracker Shiner Webb Eppright joined us for the experience. Lee and Shiner put together a plant ID contest, we dug more holes, investigated working pens designed by the Temple Grandin team, collected even more plants and learned about virtual fencing's role in targeted and regenerative grazing. The ranch (and Meg Walser) delivered scrumptious banana and zucchini bread and lunch for everybody. Many thanks to the gracious hospitality at the Law Ranch!

06/11/2026

The historic Renderbrook Spade Ranch in Mitchell County was the site of our afternoon ranch tour on Tuesday. Managers Steve White and Wesley Welch and family member Jenny Way hosted an exceptional ranch visit and evening meal. Topics included cattle management, the story of the family that has owned and operated this property since 1889, the cowboys, the horses, the grazing management practices - just a great overview of a successful cattle operation in west Texas.

06/11/2026

Our second visit was located in Fisher County. At the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch, participants conducted spring call counts, Northern bobwhite habitat evaluations and learned about techniques such as VHF telemetry and GPS tracking technology. Many thanks to Dr. Dan Foley, Dana Wright and current TSSRM president Matt Coffman for their instruction. Healthy rangelands are a cornerstone of biodiversity and that is evident at RPQRR.