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

  • 7/19-7/22 4-H Congress
  • 7/31 Council Officer Retreat

July 13, 2026

Good luck to all of our Shooting Sports State Games Participants

Saile Bernal, Madison Stehle, Paisley Groves, Daniel Villarreal, William Groves, Daniel Villarreal, Cyreniah Hinojosa, George Weatherston, Wesleigh Pool, Helen Weatherston, Elena Saenz, Theodore Weatherston, Ethan Saenz, Grant Zelaya, Abelino Benavides, Ricardo Lopez, Ryan Montalvo

July 11, 2026

Congratulations to our very own Cyreniah Hinojosa she finished off her Texas 4-H Rifle Career at the Texas 4-H State Games in Caldwell, Texas she competed in 3-P and Silhouette and ended with a 4th place in 3-P.

July 9, 2026

Congratulations for all of our Jim Wells County 4-H Record Books that competed at the District Level

Juniors

Ava Cabrera – Food and Nutrition (Blue Ribbon)

Logan Saenz – Photography (Blue Ribbon)

Leo Mejia – Poultry (Red Ribbon)

Ethan Saenz – Shooting Sports (Blue Ribbon)

Adriane Cadena – STEM (Rosette)

Allision Villarreal – Swine (Blue)

Intermediate

Gabriella Mercado – Beef (Blue Ribbon)

Justine Cadena – Leadership (Blue Ribbon)

Leilani Mejia – Poultry (Red Ribbon)

Rylee Quintanilla – Sheep (Blue Ribbon)

Elena Saenz – Shooting Sports (Blue Ribbon)

Richard Dunnan – STEM (Blue Ribbon)

James Villarreal – Swine (Red Ribbon)

Seniors

Ariella Mercado – Beef (Participation)

Kinleigh Carr – Food and Nutrition (3rd)

Ezekiel Mejia – Poultry (2nd)

Zachary Travis – Shooting Sports (3rd)

Eli Walker – STEM (1st)

June 24, 2026

Our First Responders Luncheon was a success! We served around 65 first responders in the Jim Wells County area. Thank you to our 4-H Volunteers who helped set up and serve, and thank you to everyone who donated!

Shooting Sports

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

Rifle Practice will be Saturday at 9:00 AM

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

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

Healthy South Texas Announcements

July 13, 2026
Make healthy eating part of the summer fun! Turn fruits and veggies into colorful smoothie bars, frozen treats, picnic snacks, and other kid-friendly creations that are as fun to make as they are to eat.
July 7, 2026
The best workout might be the one that gets you outside. From biking and swimming to gardening and hiking, there are plenty of ways to stay active while enjoying the sights and sounds of summer.
June 23, 2026
Fuel your body with whole grains. Eating brown rice, quinoa, oats, and more can support heart health, digestion, weight management, and lower your risk of diabetes. Small swaps make a big difference!
June 2, 2026
June is Men’s Health Month
Men in the U.S. live nearly 6 years less than women. Small steps like checkups, knowing your numbers, and support can change that. Start now. Do it for you and those who count on you.
May 11, 2026

Hey Jim Wells County!!! Save the Date!

Join us for a Family Health Fair & Car Seat Safety Check! Explore a variety of vendors offering resources for our community, plus get expert help to ensure your child’s car seat is safely installed. Don’t miss it! – May 20, 2026, from 4 – 6 PM.
May 4, 2026
Protect your brain at any age. Discover 8 simple habits like exercise, better sleep, and staying social that may help reduce cognitive decline and support overall wellness. Start today for a healthier brain and body!
Check our our Facebook Page!

Ag and Natural Resources Announcements

June 22, 2026

Great turnout for our Beef & Wildlife Health Seminar and New World Screwworm Update today in Jim Wells County. Well over 200 people participated. Special thanks to everyone who participated and helped make the event possible!

June 10, 2026

It’s still not too late to RSVP! The Beef Cattle Herd Health and New World Screwworm update will be held Wednesday June 17, 2026 at the Jim Wells County Fairgrounds Merchants Building located at 3001 S Johnson St, Alice Tx. There will be a registration fee of $20 On Site, Cash or Check Only. Lunch will be provided beginning at 12:00 with the program presentations starting at 1:00 PM. RSVP no later than Monday June 15th by contacting our office at 361-668-5705.

Beef Cattle Herd Health & New World Screwworm Update

June 8, 2026

Please join us for the South Texas Cattlemen’s Round Up Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 11:00 AM at the Gulf Coast Livestock Auction located at 3015 South Hwy 281, Alice, TX 78333. We will be auctioning baked goods, handmade items, farm and ranch items, and more to benefit Driscoll Children’s Hospital.

June 6, 2026

I spent the morning at 2BarC Angus Ranch in Luling, Texas helping our Livestock Specialist, Dr. Karl Harborth conduct a Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) training for approximately 40 beef cattle producers. Great location and working facilities. I enjoyed working with 3 farm workers who only speak Spanish and getting them trained and certified as well. Thanks to everyone who participated and made the event possible.

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.

    • 7/3 County Closed
    • 7/11 Roaster Validation
    • 7/14 Cattlemen’s Round Up
    • 7/18 Officer Training
    • 7/19-7/22 4-H Congress
    • 7/31 Council Officer Retreat (Women’s Building)
    • 8/1 Hunter’s Education
    • Scramble Heifer Validation
    • Breeding Goat Validation (by Email to the fair office)

Upcoming Events

Jul
21
ID and Management of Common Aquatic Vegetation
Aug
10
Flycatcher Week Virtual Birding Seminar
Aug
17
Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch
Aug
18
Management of Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) Blooms to Protect Your Fish and Livestock
All Jim Wells County Events

Extension Topics for Jim Wells County

Business & Community

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Jim Wells County