Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch
Empowering Landowners to Succeed
Generation Next is an online course offered twice yearly by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. It’s designed for new landowners, those inheriting property, or those planning to launch an agricultural enterprise on an existing ranch.
The curriculum empowers landowners with the knowledge and resources needed to start a new ag operation, improve an existing one, or manage land to meet their specific stewardship goals.
Participants work toward developing a personalized business plan with support from professionals who specialize in each topic. The online course is structured to fit busy schedules, requiring approximately 2 hours per week over 12 weeks, with no set class times — learn when and where it works best for you.
Meet Your Instructor – Watch the Generation Next Introduction Video as Dr. Megan Clayton explains the course format and the topics you’ll be learning each week.
Next Available Session – Fall 2026 session runs August 17 – November 8, 2026.
Registration – The Fall 2026 session is currently open for registration. Use this link to secure your seat. Enrollment is limited to the first 100 registrants.
What You’ll Learn
- Starting an agricultural business
- Understanding business taxes
- Insurance needs for your ranch
- Financial tracking and management
- Evaluating your land resources
- Grazing and wildlife management lease setup
- Basic ranch laws – fencing, water, etc.
- Land management techniques
- Exploring alternative income operations
- Goal setting and measuring success
What You’ll Gain (Upon Course Completion)
- A business plan you create and refine throughout the program
- A comprehensive set of downloadable resources for future reference
- Ongoing support and guidance from experts in each topic
- A Generation Next Certificate of Completion
- A commemorative Generation Next t-shirt
Read what Generation Next graduates are saying about the course!
What to Expect
- Duration: 12 weeks
- Time Commitment: ~2 hours/week (self-paced)
- Format: 100% online with no required meeting times, instructor-led with support available whenever you need it
- Technology Requirements: Computer with internet access
- Cost: $300
- Enrollment Limit: First 100 registrants
How to Claim Your Seat
Fall Session Dates: August 17 – November 8, 2026
Fall 2026 Session Registration Link
Questions?
Contact: Dr. Megan Clayton at Megan.Clayton@ag.tamu.edu or 830-988-6123
Become a Generation Next Donor
Your support helps keep working lands working. When land changes hands, its future is often decided quietly and incrementally. Across Texas and beyond, family lands are divided, restructured, or sold. This is not because owners don’t care, but because many inherit responsibility before they inherit understanding.
Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch exists at this critical moment, equipping new and transitioning landowners with the knowledge, confidence, and perspective needed to steward land intentionally for the long term.
Donor gifts sustain the people and resources that make Generation Next possible. Contributions ensure the course remains relevant, participants receive timely guidance, and course fees remain accessible at a pivotal moment of transition. We welcome the opportunity to share more about Generation Next, our impact, and how you can be a partner in this vital work. Contact Dr. Megan Clayton at 830-988-6123 or Megan.Clayton@ag.tamu.edu to learn more.
