Brush Clearing & Yaupon Mulching in Cat Spring & New Ulm, TX

Western Austin County is rolling post-oak country, with family ranches, big live oaks and creeks that feed the San Bernard. Cat Spring is home to the Cat Spring Agricultural Society, founded in 1856 and the oldest agricultural society in Texas, so land stewardship runs deep here. The biggest threat to that land today is yaupon. Left alone, it closes in under the oaks and crowds out the grass until cattle and deer can barely move through it. Farmer Brown & Co. is a family land-services and beekeeping business just down the road in Sealy, run by Henry Brown Jr. and Zanaria Brown. We clear brush with high-flow Kubota skid steers across Cat Spring, New Ulm and Industry. We also relocate live honeybees, place hives for ag valuation, and sell raw local honey.

Call or text 979-627-1998 · Get a land clearing quote · Skid steer & brush clearing

Yaupon clearing under the oaks

Yaupon is native, evergreen and tough. Conservation groups in Cat Spring are working with Austin County landowners to clear it and bring back the native grassland it has taken over. Most ranches don't need every tree gone. They need the understory opened up so the oaks breathe, the grass comes back and the place is usable again. Common jobs here include:

  • Underbrush and yaupon removal: opening up the ground under mature post oaks and live oaks.

  • Pasture reclaiming: taking back pasture that's gone to brush after a few years without hard grazing.

  • Fence-line clearing: cutting back brush ahead of re-fencing, one section or one whole boundary at a time.

  • Ranch roads, trails and hunting lanes: opening access for trucks, feeders and stock trailers.

  • Homesite openings: clearing the area for a new house, barn or weekend cabin on newly bought acreage, plus the drive in.

  • Finish work: power raking, grading and gravel spreading for drives and pads.

Selective forestry mulching

We do selective forestry mulching of brush and small trees. The yaupon gets ground into a mulch layer that protects the soil, there's nothing to burn during a burn ban, and the oaks you want to keep stay standing. Large timber gets scoped separately, and we'll tell you up front if your property needs it.

Free quotes in Cat Spring and New Ulm

Cat Spring and New Ulm are both inside our 30-mile radius from Sealy, so quotes are free. Send photos of the brush, the address or nearest crossroads (FM 949, FM 1094 and FM 109 all work), the approximate acreage and the finish you want. You'll get a written scope and price before anything is scheduled. Request a land clearing quote →

Live bee removal in western Austin County

Old farmhouses, barns, hollow oaks and deer blinds are all perfect honeybee homes. We're beekeepers, not exterminators. When bees move in, we:

  • look at your photos and tell you whether it's likely a swarm or an established colony,

  • confirm the entry point, height and building materials,

  • give you a written scope that lists exactly what's included, and

  • remove the bees alive and relocate the colony to a managed apiary when conditions allow.

We take swarm calls 7 days a week. Please don't spray the colony or seal the opening first. Request bee service →

Hive placement & ag exemption beekeeping

A lot of Cat Spring and New Ulm land is already in ag use. Texas allows beekeeping as a qualifying 1-d-1 open-space use on tracts between 5 and 20 acres, which makes it a good fit for smaller places carved out of bigger ranches. Land here is appraised by the Austin County Appraisal District, which sets its own hive-count and record-keeping standards. Ask them for the current requirements first. The regular deadline for Form 50-129 is April 30, and land generally needs qualifying ag use for five of the previous seven years. Then we'll write a hive placement and management plan and keep dated visit records. Only the district decides approval. Learn about beekeeping ag valuation →

Already have hives? We offer hive inspections and seasonal management.

Raw local honey from Austin County hives

Our raw Texas Wildflower Honey and creamed honeys (Texas Velvet Original, Cinnamon Trail and Blue Velvet Reserve) come from hives we manage ourselves in Austin County. Order through our online shop, or arrange a pickup in Sealy.

Why Cat Spring and New Ulm call us

  • Neighbors. Cat Spring is about 25 minutes from Sealy, and New Ulm about 40.

  • We keep the oaks. Selective work is the default, not an upcharge conversation.

  • Written scope first. You'll know what's cleared, what stays and what it costs before we start.

  • Nearby areas too: Bellville, Industry, Columbus and Sealy. See our Bellville and Columbus pages.

Cat Spring & New Ulm FAQs

Can you clear yaupon without hurting my oaks? Yes. Selective clearing is most of what we do in post-oak country. Point out the trees you want to keep and we'll work around them.

Is the quote free? Yes. Cat Spring and New Ulm are within 30 miles of Sealy.

Will the yaupon come back? Yaupon can resprout. Mulching plus regular mowing or grazing afterward keeps it down. We can schedule follow-up clearing.

Do you work on weekend properties when I'm not there? Yes. Send photos, access details and the boundaries you want cleared, and we'll put it all in the written scope.

Which appraisal district handles ag valuation here? The Austin County Appraisal District.

Open your land back up

Yaupon under the oaks, fences you can't reach, or bees in the barn? Call or text 979-627-1998, email info@farmerbrowncompany.com, or request a land clearing quote online.