KEEPING LAND IN THE FAMILY:
Conservation Easements, Succession Planning & Land Stewardship
FRIDAY NOV 20th, 9AM-4PM
W.O. FISCHER RANCH | FISCHER, COMAL COUNTY TX
Join Small Producers Initiative (SPI) and Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) for an on-farm workshop exploring how families can care for and protect their land for generations to come.
Visit a Texas ranch held by the same family since the 1850s and hear how family members are working together to protect their shared landscape.
Topics Will Include:
Soil Health: Learn from SPI how practical management strategies can improve your soil.
Succession Planning: Explore strategies for passing land to the next generation with Braun & Gresham, legal advocates for Texas landowners.
Conservation Easements: Learn from TX Agricultural Land Trust how easements can protect land while maintaining private ownership.
Family Perspectives: Hear from multiple generations about land ownership, succession, and working together across property
Cost: $20
Includes refreshments and lunch
This event is open to everyone — landowners, farmers, ranchers and more!
Detailed directions and an agenda for this workshop will be emailed to those who register 2-3 days prior to the event. If you do not see that email, please be sure to check your spam. For questions, email loren.mullins@txstate.edu.
Limited capacity; registration required before 5pm on Fri Nov 19th.
INSTRUCTORS:
Dr. Ken Mix is the Program director of The Small Producer Initiative at Texas State University and currently teaches entomology, soil health, and crop production, with active research on small producer needs, soil, and water resources. He is a former vegetable producer and currently runs SKM Homestead, a small livestock and mixed produce 50-acre farm in Fentress, Texas.
The Small Producers Initiative (SPI) equips farmers and ranchers with the tools, training, and knowledge needed to restore soil health, build drought resilience, and develop profitable, climate-smart agricultural operations grounded in responsible land stewardship.
Wesley Tanton is the Land Transaction Specialist & Closing Coordinator at Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT), where he works with landowners on conservation easements and guides them through the closing process. With a background in ecological restoration and rangeland management, Wesley previously spent nearly five years with USDA-NRCS helping agricultural producers with conservation planning and easement stewardship.
Corina “Cory” Raven is an attorney and counselor at Braun & Gresham. She is passionate about helping Texas landowners protect their property, preserve their family legacy, and plan for the future. With years of experience in conservation, estate planning, risk management, business associations, and real estate law, she guides clients through complex decisions with practical solutions and a deep respect for the land. Cory’s approach is rooted in stewardship and authenticity, shaped by her own background working alongside her family on South Texas ranches that have been in operation for generations.
Leesa Brieger is a landowner and steward of the 265-acre W.O. Fischer Ranch in Comal County, which has been in her family since the 1850s. Leesa and her family have worked to keep the historic ranch intact and productive, culminating in a conservation easement with Texas Agricultural Land Trust in 2025 that permanently protects the property from development while preserving its agricultural use.
Read TALT's profile on W.O. Fischer Ranch here.