Small acreage stewardship program starts Jan. 19

If you are new to managing a small acreage, thinking about purchasing one or are interested in learning how to make your property more sustainable, save money and reduce inputs to your land, you will benefit from the Front Range Small Acreage Stewardship Program, being offered in Larimer County.

This nine-week course will show you how to implement management techniques to keep your property healthy. The course will cover everything from proper pasture and weed management to ideas on preparing for disasters.

To ensure a deeper understanding of what is best for your property, your soils will be analyzed to help you put together your own management plan during the course enabling you to:

• Maintain healthy pastures that have fewer weeds;
• Understand how to improve your soils to increase your yields;
• Reduce input costs;
• Manage livestock more effectively;
• Keep safe from potential wildfires, and much more.

Each class includes presentations by local experts and insight from community members who are implementing conservation practices on their own land. Field tours will also be part of the course.

This program, provided by Colorado State University Extension, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other partnering agencies, was developed specifically to help small acreage landowners. The objective is to offer ways to enhance the quality of your land, save time and money, and end up with better outcomes that meet your specific property management goals.

Classes are offered weekly on Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 pm beginning January 19 through March 15 in Loveland at The Ranch, 4-H McKee Building. The registration fee is $120 per property. A soil sample and analysis, as well as personalized site visit, will be included. For more information and to register: www.ext.colostate.edu/sam/ms or contact [email protected] 303-659-7004 ext. 116.