Entries by Cathy Svejkovsky

Farmers and Ranchers Are Neither the Cause Nor the Solution to Climate Disruption

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The anxiety and stress farmers and ranchers face because of the consequence of climate disruption are real, but neither the causes nor significant solutions rest with farmers and ranchers. According to a new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the level of net greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in 2019 was estimated to be 59 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent. A gigaton is a billion metric tons. That is a lot of extra climate-disrupting gases being released into the atmosphere of our planet every year. Unfortunately, those emissions levels are growing.

Jeff Schahczenski, NCAT Agricultural and Natural Resource Economist

NCAT Webinar Series Addresses Advanced Grazing

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Did you know that the most important livestock on your farm are the ones you never purchased and, in most cases, have rarely, if ever, seen? These livestock, along with plant roots, play an essential role in improving soil health, which is the foundation of any agricultural operation. But what is soil health and how does one go about improving it? The NCAT four-part webinar series Advanced Grazing for Regenerating Soils and Enhancing Animal Nutrition begins by addressing this question. 
Justin Morris, NCAT Regenerative Grazing Specialist, and  Lee Rinehart, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist 

Reflections from a Shortgrass Prairie

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Erik Tucker has been ranching in Southeast Colorado since his early 20s, and although he didn’t grow up on a ranch, he has long felt  that the old way of ranching just wasn’t working. He likes to observe the sunshine, rain, and natural processes of the world that culminate in pastures and healthy cattle. He knows livestock didn’t always need so much handling, especially when bison freely roamed the area. He often thinks about those times and wonders if they can be recreated in their efficiency.
By Hernán Colmenero, Sustainable Food Consultant

Soil Steaming for Pathogen, Pest, and Weed Control in High Tunnels

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Picadilly Farm in southwestern New Hampshire along the Connecticut River includes a large CSA, on-farm store, and deliveries to local restaurants and co-op, keeping owners Bruce and Jenny Wooster very busy. So, finding ways to be more efficient is important, especially in finding appropriate technologies to implement. One technology they’ve implemented is soil steaming—an emerging technology for managing disease, weeds, and pests in the soil.
By Andy Pressman and Chris Lent, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialists

Assessing Soil Health on Grazing Lands Using a Shovel and a Knife

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Did you know you can do a soil health assessment on your own pasture without having to send in soil samples to a laboratory? And this assessment costs only your time because it requires no special tools. Using the senses of sight, smell, and touch, along with very simple hand tools — a shovel and a knife — you can determine the health of the soil in your pasture in less than 30 minutes.
By Justin Morris, NCAT Regenerative Grazing Specialist

A Tale of Two Pastures: Pasture Response to Catastrophic Events

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Did you know that pasture health and flying in an airplane are similar in some ways? If not, don’t worry; you’re not alone. A catastrophic event that happens in flight can resemble how a pasture responds following a catastrophe. Let us explain… 
By Justin Morris and Linda Poole, NCAT Regenerative Grazing Specialists

Grapes in High Tunnels Can Greatly Reduce Pesticide Use and Increase Yields

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As a young, would-be organic farmer in the early 1970s, I drooled over the nursery catalog photographs of plump, succulent bunches of grapes as if they were the very essence and promise of good farming and good health. The genus containing grapes is Vitis, a word from the proto-Indo-European root, which means “living or life itself.” Wow. Grapes=life itself!

By Guy K. Ames, NCAT Horticulture Specialist

NCAT’s AgriSolar Clearinghouse Project Brings Together Solar and Agriculture

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By Chris Lent, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist When I started back to work at NCAT as a sustainable agriculture specialist in August of 2021, after a five-year absence, I was vaguely familiar with the term agrisolar. Having experience working as both a farmer and a solar energy installer, I was aware of an explosion of […]

Montana’s Winter Farmers Markets Help Provide Local Food Access and Bridge Revenue for Farmers

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When I arrived at Montana State University in the summer of 2021, I discovered the Gallatin Valley Farmers Market. As summer came to a close, I figured farmers markets in Montana would also close. I was surprised to find that there are winter farmers markets here in Montana. Curious, I decided to explore the Missoula Valley Winter Market to learn more about how a winter market can be successful in Montana’s cold Northern climate.

By Melissa Wyatt, Dietetic Intern, Montana State University

Grazing for Resilience: Bouncing Forward from Catastrophic Events

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For many areas of the western United States and Canada, 2021 was one of the hottest and driest years in recorded history. With temperatures exceeding 110 degrees F and precipitation at one-third to one-half of what’s been the norm, these are unparalleled conditions that are catastrophic in their effect on the land, animals, and people. But what is to be done when nature dishes out severe weather events such as flooding, fire, or grasshoppers that eat every green leaf in sight? Is it possible to not just bounce back from such catastrophes but to bounce forward by rising to even greater resilience in the future? The answer is a resounding YES!

By Justin Morris and Linda Poole, Regenerative Grazing Specialists