The Texas Alliance for Water Conservation (TAWC) will host its 8th annual Water College on January 20, 2022. The event — which will be held from 9:00 a.m. through 2:45 p.m. at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center — is an opportunity for agriculture producers, consultants, and industry leaders to connect with the latest water management research, technologies, and industry progress.
Attendance is free, lunch is included, and the event offers Certified Crop Advisor Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Program
The program for this year's Water College includes:
9:00 a.m. — Welcome
Dr. Cindy Akers, Interim Dean College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, TTU
9:10 a.m. — The Cost-Price Squeeze Once Again? Agricultural Market Outlook
Dr. Darren Hudson, Professor and Larry Combest Chair, Agricultural & Applied Economics, TTU
9:40 a.m. — Don't Mess with Texas Water Edition
Brooke Paup, Chairwoman Texas Water Development Board
10:00 a.m. — A Slippery Slope : Water and Agriculture
Dan Hunter, Assistant Commissioner for Water & Rural Affairs, Texas Department of Agriculture
10:45 a.m. — Sustainability in the U.S. Cotton Supply Chain
Dr. Donna McCallister, Assistant Professor, Agricultural & Applied Economics, TTU
11:15 a.m. — Real Field Research Overview: What's New in the Water Management Space
Lloyd Arthur, Ralls County Producer
Jeff Miller, ForeFront Agronomy Owner
12:00 p.m. — Lunch
Andy Wilkinson, cowboy poet and Artist-in-Residence at TTU's Southwest Collection
1:30 p.m. — Texas Produced Water Project
Senator Charles Perry
2:00 p.m. — Fertilizer and Ag Chemical Challenges and Opportunities in 2022
Kevin Meeks, Business Unit Agronomist, Helena Agri-Enterprises
2:30 p.m. — Weather Outlook 2022
Brian Bledsoe, Chief Meteorologist/Climatologist KKTV 11 News and Weather 5280 Specialist
The TAWC in action
The TAWC is a unique partnership which brings together researchers from Texas Tech University and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension risk management specialists with area producers. By analyzing production practices, technologies, and systems using in-field demonstrations, the project aims to extending the life of the Ogallala Aquifer while maintaining the viability of local farms and communities.
In addition to the annual Water College, the TAWC serves as a central network of information for producers, offering resources like free online tools and hosting field day demonstrations.