Smart Growth

05/27/2026

We built a trap… for ourselves.

The farm work was fine. The bookkeeping, web dev, and customer work were fine too. On their own, none of them were the problem.

But once we piled a massive marketing challenge on top and gave our weekends to farmers markets, there was nothing left of us for our own family. I went two full seasons without making it to a single soccer game or track meet.

Then revenue crashed 70% in February 2023.

That is when we had to admit the problem was not effort. The problem was trying to be everything at once.

It is the small business version of a “dual-purpose” bird. You can be a great mechanic, or you can be an okay mechanic and an okay admin assistant. But you are not going to be truly proud of the results in either role.

Smart Growth is different now.

We decided to be great at one thing: fixing the back office and marketing work that is stealing time from blue-collar owners who just want to do the work they are actually great at.

If you can feel this same trap closing on your business, now is the time to redesign how it runs.

Book a call and we will walk through where your time, tools, and money are leaking, and what it would look like if your evenings and weekends actually belonged to your family again.

05/21/2026

Five years ago this page was about sheep and St. Croix lambs. Then we added pasture-raised pork and hit the farmer's markets HARD. Then meetups. Now something different.

Farming and ranching are real work. We learned a lot from it about systems, planning, and what happens when inflation rocks the economy and big-ag is heavily subsidized while small producers get scrutinized. The meetups showed us that small business owners around here are drowning in the same problems we were solving by hand. Too many tools, nothing connected, phones going to voicemail, paperwork piling up, and who has time for marketing, let alone the money to outsource it?

Smart Growth is now focused on one thing: helping small blue-collar businesses run better using the tech they already have, plus a little AI where it actually helps. No fluff, no software subscriptions you don't need, no consultants who have never worked a hard day.

We'll show you exactly what that looks like. If you run a small shop and feel buried, stick around.

05/04/2026

That's Smith Pastures by the way.

02/16/2026

The pizza shop began closing Mondays, so we're at Black Creek Bar & Grill
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DUHupYJxNzwGKocWA

02/12/2026

Build 2026 with purpose, people, and momentum.

If you’re a business owner or serious builder, this one matters.

We’re meeting Monday, February 16 from 3:00–6:00 PM at Two Head Eagle Pizzeria & Restaurant in Devine to talk about buying & holding Bitcoin as a business strategy to protect against inflation.

This isn’t hype.
It’s a practical conversation about:
• Why businesses are adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets
• Risk management and long-term positioning
• What this looks like for small and local companies

Expect real discussion, smart people, and forward-thinking strategy.

Seats help us plan the room — grab yours here:
https://smartgrowth.live/product/february/

Let’s build 2026 intentionally.

02/03/2026

📍 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆!

Join 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 this 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗙𝗲𝗯 𝟱 from 𝟲:𝟯𝟬 - 𝟳:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠 at 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲'𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻.

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲!

📍 Charlie's Daughter on the Green
116 W Malone
Devine, TX 78016

👉 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻: BrandonHerreraforCongress.com

01/06/2026

As early primary voting approaches on 17 Feb, please reach out if you want a Brandon Yard sign.

01/05/2026

We're doing it again and it's not the Village People, but every bit as cool, though also not choreographed.

Beers, strategy, wealth building into the next generation, and great, hardworking people.

Sign-up at Smartgrowth.live to ensure you have a seat.

Monday 19 Jan 2026
Black Creek Bar & Grill
2-5 PM

11/26/2025

11/23/2025

Do you have community? Have you built and maintained relationships in the meat space? We're blessed to have had the opportunity to connect Fred from Morales Feed & Supply with several members of our community to connect a new LGD with a home and help with predator protection for Fred's Kune Kunes. We love the opportunity to help, but let that be a lesson, build and water your community. Be generous in helping others for the time will come when you too are in need. Fred has been a pillar of the community for decades. It was a genuine pleasure to return some of that good will. Big thanks to Timothy Rasar for the assist!

11/14/2025

Reserve your Thanksgiving turkey straight from the pasture! Our turkeys are truly special—pasture raised, soy free, fed only organic, non-GMO grains, and free range their entire lives. For just $25 down, you can reserve your whole bird (credited toward your order at $10 per pound). Most birds will finish between 12–15 lbs, but we can raise larger turkeys if you’d like! Preorder your holiday feast and experience the difference: https://smithpastures.com/product/presale-whole-turkey-read-comments/