Dairy: Dairy is the 4th commodity in the state and District 8 is home to 25% of the state´s producers and produces 44% of the state´s milk supply. Erath County ranks 11th in the US in cow density, being home to over 80,000 cows.

Sheep/Goat: Texas ranks number one in sheep and goat production in the nation. Sheep and goat production in the Western portion of District 8 is a mainstay of its agricultural economy. A Sheep & Goat Producer Field Day was held in Coryell County to educate clientele about cross-breeding systems that produce a more desirable and efficient animal. Predator control, health programs, and marketing alternatives were also taught.

Blackland Income Growth (B.I.G.) Conference: The Annual Blackland Income Growth Conference and Mid-Tex Farm & Ranch Show attracts over 5000 agricultural producers, marketers, and other agribusiness persons to Waco each January. This conference and trade show allows participants to learn the latest in information and technology in agriculture. Interested parties attend from throughout the state and leave with innovative ideas that keep them on the cutting edge of agricultural production and marketing.

Cross Timbers Agriculture in Transition Workshop: This educational program brought together policy makers, Extension educators, producers, and agribusiness in an effort to address the difficult issues facing agricultural production in Cross Timbers Region. A list of possible solutions that can be applied to these concerns was developed and will be further explored in an effort to ease financial tensions of producers in the region.

Estate Planning Seminars: Over 200 persons participated in Estate Planning Seminars in several counties in Central Texas. Participants learned about innovative ways to save on estate taxes, allowing them to pass on their estate with lower tax liability to their heirs.

Field Crops: Educational programs in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) seek to inform producers of best management practices which effectively manage pest populations through monitoring of fields and the application of least toxic pesticides. Producers in Ellis, Hill, Navarro, McLennan, Williamson, and Milam Counties enrolled in the cotton IPM program significantly reduced pesticide use while increasing net returns on production inputs.

Two hundred corn producers, grain buyers, and risk managers attended a seminar addressing aflatoxin in drought stressed corn in McLennan County. This toxin is a secondary by-product of molds that grow on stressed grain. Aflatoxin has been found to cause liver cancer in animals. As a result of this program, all interested parties received the latest information on dealing with this issue. Producers, grain buyers, and crop insurance adjusters came together to understand how aflatoxin infected grain could be handled.

Financial Management Using Computers: Computers have changed the way business is conducted in America. Extension educational programs that teach the varied uses of computers have been conducted in many District 8 counties. Program participants have gained knowledge and skills in budgeting, planning, financial management and risk management through the use of computers.

Horticultural Production: Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who assist county Extension agents in extending information on horticultural subject matter to clientele. Master Gardeners in four Central Texas counties (Hood, Ellis, Bell, McLennan) have spent in excess of 2500 volunteer hours educating over 17,000 persons. Community service projects have included Landscape Design Schools, vegetable production seminars and field days, the Texas State Garden Show, and result demonstrations.

Over 800 professional turf and landscape managers attended the Professional Grounds Conference organized by the Williamson County Extension Office. Participants in this conference learn the latest in information and technology for management of turf on golf courses, athletic fields, and other speciality turf and landscapes areas. This is the largest conference of its kind in the state and is conducted on an annual basis.

Master Marketer Program & Agricultural Marketing Clubs: 47 agricultural producers and agribusiness representatives participated in an 8 day Master Marketer Seminar. The participants received intensive training in commodity marketing and risk management. As a result, marketing clubs have been established in Bell, Hill, Williamson, Navarro, Ellis, and McLennan Counties. Some 200 Marketing Club members meet on a regular basis to continue improving their decision making skills.

Natural Resource Management: Atrazine, a commonly used herbicide in crop production, was detected in Aquilla Lake at levels which exceed tolerance for human consumption. In response to this problem, the Hill County Extension Service established replicated test plots using new technology corn herbicides to demonstrate alternative herbicides that could result in reduced applications of atrazine. Over 100 corn producers attended a field day to tour these demonstration plots and learned best management practices for herbicide applications.

Falls County hosted a Pesticide Collection Day which resulted in the collection and disposal of 2678 pesticide containers, 600 gallons of used oil, 850 oil filters, 87 batteries, and thousands of pounds of pesticides. A separate activity was conducted which resulted in the collection of over 3000 used tires. Over 220 persons participated in these activities and received educational information on recycling.

Eighteen counties in Extension District 8 are participating in the Sports Athletic Field Education (S.A.F.E.) Program which involves over twenty independent school districts. This program is designed to improve sports fields which in turn provides for athletes´ safety, reduces water consumption through irrigation, and employs IPM principles for pest management.

Wildlife Resources: With the advent of Proposition 11, landowners have an opportunity to save money on property taxes through wildlife exemptions. By attending a special educational program 130 residents of Hood County learned about deer, quail, and fisheries management which may lead to their eligibility for property tax exemptions under provisions of Proposition 11.

A Tri-County Wildlife Management Association was organized involving 15,000 acres of land in Hood, Somervell, and Johnson Counties. The purpose of the association is to promote recommended wildlife management practices and provide economic benefits to landowners.