Jim Wells County

AgriLife Extension Service Office
Close up of corn seedlings in a field.

Through an expansive network of 250 county offices and more than 900 professional educators, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service provides practical, accessible solutions to everyday challenges. Connect with an AgriLife Extension representative in your area to explore the wide range of educational resources, programming and activities available to you.

Resources Available in Jim Wells County

AgriLife Extension offers key programs across the state that are organized and supported at the county level. Click the links below for more information about local programming or contact your county office.

4-H Announcements

Reminders

  • 10/12 – Orange Grove Country Kids 4-H Club Meeting
  • 10/05- 10/11 – National 4-H Week
  • 10/10 – One Day 4-H
  • 10/10 – County Fair Workday
  • 10/11 – Archery Practice
  • 10/13 – Virtual 4-H Scholarship Workshop
  • 10/17 – County Fair Workday
  • 10/19-10/24 – Jim Wells County Fair
  • 10/26 – State Lamb & Goat Validation

Get Ready for the Jim Wells County Fair! Many hands make light work, we hope you can join us on county fair clean up days.

Home Economics:

You can purchase food containers and photo mount boards to make sure your project is fair ready!

Have questions or need help with your project? email the Home Economics Division – our team is here to help!

[email protected]

 

 

Shooting Sports

Archery Practice will Start in September please watch the Sprots You

Please keep up with the GroupMe for updated information on Shot Gun Practice.

Rifle Practice Keep Watching the Email Updates

Check out our Facebook page!

Jim Wells County 4-H Facebook

Ag & Natural Resources Publications and Information

Here you can find publication information regarding livestock, crops, soil, and other natural resources.

  • This site provides updates on the New World Screwworm. There are several articles designed to serve as educational materials and the latest research-backed information to help Texas identify, prevent, and respond to this parasite. This site also includes Data on Texas Counties with Confirmed Detections of New World Screwworm

  • Tomasick, Julie. (2025, February 4) Cattle imports from Mexico resume under new protocol.  Texas Farm Bureau.

  • Trostle, Dr. Calvin. (2025, April 21) Soil Testing Pointers you Probably Haven’t Heard (Second in a five-part series). Texas A&M University Soil & Crop Sciences

  • Trostle, Dr. Calvin. (2025, April 28) Soil Testing Pointers you Probably Haven’t Hear (third in a five-part series). Texas A&M University Soil & Crop Sciences

  • Pierce, Robert A. II, Jason Sumners, Emily Flinn. (2022, March) Techniques for Aging Live Deer. Extension University of Missouri.

  • Dillard Jim, Gary Homerstad. Appendix M Herd Composition: An Essential Element of White-tailed Deer Population and Harvest Management in Texas. 

  • The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has put out a New World Screwworm Fact Sheet for wild life.

    The primary focus of landowners concerned about their wildlife populations should be surveillance and record-keeping.  As with livestock, reporting is CRITICAL, and any suspected NWS cases should be immediately reported to your local TPWD biologist.  TPWD has been actively training biologists, especially in South Texas, to handle NWS cases, who will then report to the TPWD health team.  (To find a Biologist visit the link below). Captive wildlife (i.e., native species) cases will flow through TPWD, while exotic hoofstock cases will flow through TAHC. 

     Unfortunately, at this time, we don’t have any approved treatments for wild animals, leaving these species extra susceptible to population declines.  On top of that, wildlife populations are much more difficult to monitor than livestock; therefore, the potential negative consequences for wild animals are likely much higher from a population standpoint.  These consequences are why surveillance and reporting will be critical to managing our wildlife populations and reducing the population-level effects.

     To review more about Wildlife Monitoring and Management for New World Screwworm visit the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Website Below. 

    Find a Biologist

    Wildlife Monitoring and Management for New World Screwworm

  • Biles, Steve, Danielle Sekula, Jose Santiago-Gonzalez, Caixing Xion, and David Kerns. (2025, October). The Pasture Mealybug: A New Invasive Pest of Pastures and Hayfields in Texas. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

    This website is intended to provide information regarding the Pasture Mealybug which includes a printable PDF version.

  • Bowling, Becky. Preemergence Herbicides for Warm-Season Turfgrass Lawns. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

Healthy South Texas Announcements

September 2, 2026
Looking for a bodyweight workout? This resource features 27 exercises with step-by-step instructions and videos. Choose exercises that target different muscle groups to create a full-body workout you can do at home or anywhere. @houstonmethodist
August 31, 2026
Ever finish a meal and wonder why you kept eating? Discover practical strategies to recognize hunger cues, avoid mindless eating, and create routines that support healthier habits. @ClevelandClinic
August 24, 2026
Want better sleep? Discover practical, science-backed tips that go beyond the basics to help support your body’s natural sleep cycle. @sleepisthefound
August 21, 2026
Tired of the nightly “What’s for dinner?” scramble? A few simple meal planning hacks can save time, reduce stress, and make healthy eating easier. Discover practical tips for busy families, from default dinners to smart shortcuts. @WeliaHealth
August 11, 2026 
A heartfelt thank you to my very first Strong People Strong Bodies participants at the South Texas Community Clubhouse! It has been such a privilege to watch each of you grow stronger, more confident, and committed to improving your health. Every participant showed noticeable improvement throughout the program, and I could not be more proud of your hard work and dedication. A special shoutout goes to Cheryl, our most improved participant. At the beginning of the program, standing up from a chair was a challenge. By the end, she was proudly demonstrating how many squats she could do! Her progress is a wonderful example of what consistency, determination, and a positive attitude can achieve. Thank you all not only for your effort and enthusiasm, but also for your kind words and appreciation throughout the program. Your encouragement and support made this class just as meaningful for me as I hope it was for you. Congratulations on your accomplishments and THANK YOU for allowing me to be part of your journey!
August 7, 2026
Sports aren’t the only way for kids to stay active! Discover ideas to help children find physical activities they enjoy, plus resources to keep them moving and motivated every day.
Check our our Facebook Page!

Ag and Natural Resources Announcements

August 7, 2026

The Coastal Bend White-Tailed Deer Symposium scheduled for Saturday August 22nd has been postponed until 2027.

Coastal Bend White-Tailed Deer Symposium Postponed

August 4, 2026

Join us for the 2026 Duval County Beef Cattle Seminar. This seminar will be held Thursday August 20, 2026 at Garza Ranch, 2 miles North of Benavides, Tx, Hwy 339.

Topics will include Beef Cattle Management and Ranch Profitability, Beef Cattle Nutrition and Mineral Management, New World Screwworm Prevention and Response, Parasite Control and Strategic Deworming, Heard Health and Vaccination Program, Water Conservation and Ranch Resources, FSA, NRCS, and USDA Program Updates, and Producer Q&A Local Resource Updates.

Registration will begin at 8:00 AM

Lunch Will be provided.

Please RSVP as Seating is Limited. To RSVP contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Duval County at 361-279-6379 or email [email protected]

2026 Duval County Beef Cattle Seminar

July 30, 2026

Join us today for the New World Screwworm Webinar at 10 AM

El Servicio de Extensión de Texas A&M AgriLife organizará un seminario web en español para trabajadores agrícolas el 30 de julio a las 10 a.m. enfocado en el gusano barrenador del ganado (New World screwworm).
Este evento en línea cubrirá temas sobre biología básica, inspección y tratamiento relacionados con el manejo de ganado y vida silvestre, como parte de la misión de la agencia de ofrecer programas educativos a todos los habitantes del estado de Texas.
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The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host a Spanish-language Zoom webinar for agriculture workers on July 30 at 10 a.m. focused on New World screwworm.
The online event will cover basic biology, inspection and treatment related to livestock and wildlife management as the agency continues its mission of reaching all Texans with statewide educational programming.

July 23, 2026

Spanish Language New World Screwworm Webinar Set for July 30

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service online event for agricultural workers to cover livestock, wildlife.

Topics to be covered:

New World screwworm life cycle-entomology basics

New World screwworm and cattle management

Wildlife aspects of New World screwworm

Permitting livestock to move from infested zones

Human and companion animal considerations

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Seminario web en espanol sobre el gusano barrenador del nuevo mundo programado para el 30 de Julio

Evento en linea del Servicio de Extension AgriLife de Texas A&M dirigido a trabajadores del sector agropecuario para abordar temas relacionados con el ganado y la vida silvestre

Temas que se cubriran:

ciclo de vida del gusano barrenador del Nuevo Mundo: conceptos basicos de entomologia

Gusano barrenador del Nuevo Mundo y manejo del ganado bovino

Aspectos relacionados con la vida silvestre y el gusano barrenador del Nuevo Mundo

Permisos para el movimiento de ganado desde zonas infestadas

Consideraciones sobre las personas y los animales de compania

 

 

June 4, 2026

Stay up to date on the latest information regrading the New World Screwworm. Texas A&M AgriLife has developed a wide range of resources to support stakeholder education and response efforts including fact sheets, reporting guidance, animal health resources and education materials for producers, veterinarians, and the public. This information can be found at the following link, along with additional information and resources.

New World Screwworm

 

May 14, 2026

A USDA-NRCS funded program led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research that provides financial Incentives to help Texas Farmers, ranchers, and foresters adopt conservation practices that improve soil health and long term productivity. Program requirements include: participants must be working lands in the state of Texas, must have a Farm Service Agency (FSA) farm number, Producer must not already be receiving federal incentives for planned practices.

Participation benefits include: incentives up to $100,000 while improving resilience, enhance soil, water, and land health, support sustainability markets and future research, technical assistance from the TCSI team from start to finish.

To apply visit tcsi-data.tamu.edu

 

Texas Private Pesticide Applicator Training

Course Information: This online course is designed for pesticide applicators in Texas that want to obtain a pesticide license. It provides crucial information that will prepare them to take the Private Applicator Exam by the Texas Department of Agriculture and administered by Metro Institute. The instructor for this course is Dr. Mark Matocha, and the course length is 3 hours. This online course has a fee of $100. Please note that printed manuals will be shipped to all course registrants. Please provide a physical shipping address during registration.

Is this course right for you? A private pesticide applicator is someone who uses or supervises the use of restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticides or regulated herbicides to produce an agricultural commodity on personally owned property, rented property, property owned by his/her employer, property under his/her general control or the property of another person if applied without compensation, other than the trading of personal services between producers or agricultural commodities.

Please visit the link below to learn more about the training course.

Texas Private Pesticide Applicator Training

 

Events Calendar

Stay up to date on monthly 4-H Meetings, Competitions, Deadlines and Events. Explore the events calendar to stay current on what is happening throughout the year.

    • 10/03 – State Heifer Validation 8-10am Jim Wells County Fairgrounds
    • 10/03 – Multi Species Clinic JK Northway Kingsville, Tx
    • 10/04 – Robotics Practice 3-5pm
    • 10/04 – Archery Practice
    • 10/04 – Ben Bolt 4-H Club Meeting
    • 10/4 – Hoppin’ 4-H Club Meeting
    • 10/05 – Premont 4-H Club Meeting
    • 10/12 – Orange Grove Country Kids 4-H Club Meeting
    • 10/05- 10/11 – National 4-H Week
    • 10/10 – One Day 4-H
    • 10/10 – County Fair Workday
    • 10/11 – Archery Practice
    • 10/13 – Virtual 4-H Scholarship Workshop
    • 10/17 – County Fair Workday
    • 10/19-10/24 – Jim Wells County Fair
    • 10/26 – State Lamb & Goat Validation
    • 11/01 – D12 Horse Judging & Meat Judging Open
    • 11/01 – Ben Bolt 4-H Club Meeting
    • 11/02 – Premont 4-H Club Meeting
    • 11/06 – D12 Shotgun Opens
    • 11/08 – Hoppin’ 4-H Club Meeting
    • 11/09 – Orange Grove Country Kids 4-H Club Meeting
    • 11/13 – D12 Archery Closes
    • 11/19 – State Swine Validation
    • 11/20 – Major Show Entries Due
    • 11/27 – D12 Shotgun Closes
    • 11/30 – County Council & Adult Leaders

Jim Wells County