On Saturday, November 22, 2025, livestock producers from across the region are invited to join us in Devine, Texas, for a hands-on educational event focused on soil health, pasture resilience, and grazing management. The “Soil Health Through Drought and Flood” Field Day will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Morales Home, located at 902 Zig Zag Road. This event is designed to give farmers and ranchers practical tools to improve their soil, support forage production, and increase profitability—no matter the weather extremes.
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Participants will rotate through a series of five hands-on stations, each offering live demonstrations and expert-led discussions.
The first station will explore cell grazing with an electric fencing demonstration and grazing with cover crops. Attendees will learn how managed grazing systems can improve pasture utilization, enhance forage regrowth, increase ground cover and farm profitability. Integrating cover crops into these systems further improves soil structure, boosts organic matter, and supports livestock nutrition—especially in the off-season. Producers will also see firsthand how temporary and permanent fencing solutions can be used to create flexible grazing paddocks. Experts will cover practical setup techniques, maintenance tips, and innovations that make rotational grazing more manageable, even on larger acreages.
The native and introduced grass management station will highlight key differences between species, their role in pasture resilience, and how to manage mixed forage systems. Attendees will learn how to identify and promote desirable species, manage for biodiversity, and maintain productive stands over time. Whether you’re working with Bermudagrass or little bluestem, this station will offer insights into improving pasture quality and animal performance.
At the cover crop planting station, attendees will see demonstrations of both no-till drill and broadcast seeding techniques. Speakers will discuss seed selection, seeding rates, planting timing, equipment utilization and tips for integrating cover crops into forage systems. Whether you’re new to cover crops or looking to improve your stand establishment, this station will help connect the dots between soil protection, weed suppression, and improved forage availability.
The soil pit and soil health station will give attendees an underground view of what’s really happening beneath their feet. Two soil pits—one in healthy pasture and one in degraded ground—will show the differences in root depth, aggregation, biological activity, and water infiltration. This interactive session will help producers assess soil conditions on their own land and understand the long-term value of investing in soil health.
Finally, the rainfall simulator will offer a demonstration of how different pasture conditions respond to a rain event. Attendees will compare runoff and infiltration across plots with native grasses, introduced grasses, bare soil, cover crops, and a transitional “work in progress” area. This eye-opening station helps connect management decisions to real-world outcomes in both drought and flood conditions.
Registration is $50 per person and includes a locally sourced breakfast and lunch featuring products from participating farms that follow the practices showcased during the field day. Thanks to generous sponsors, full scholarships are available to anyone. Space is limited, and registration is required by November 8.
To request a scholarship, please contact Mary Michael Zahed at mary.lipfordzahed@ag.tamu.edu or call 979-314-8092.
Whether you’re managing 20 acres or 5,000, this field day will offer practical insights and tools to build healthier pastures from the ground up.
This event is presented by Morales Feed and Supply, Texas Water Resources Institute, Southwest Farms, Wildlife Habitat Federation, Texas Grazing Lands Coalition, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Behind the Oaks Farm, Green Cover, Range Ward, Powerflex, the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Holganix, and K-Line Irrigation.