Entries by ncat-admin

Episode 198. Schools and COVID

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This episode of Voices from the Field is a the first part of a discussion between Ben Thomas of California Alliance of Family Farms, Hope Sippola of Fiery Ginger Farm in West Sacramento, California, and Vince Caguin of the Natomas, California, Unified School District. Hope and Vince discuss how the relationship between Fiery Ginger Farm […]

Fruit and the Freeze of 2021

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Better Than I Feared but Worse Than It Looks By Guy K. Ames, NCAT Horticulture Specialist A dipping polar vortex delivered a cruel and chilling Valentine’s gift to the Midwest and South on Valentine’s Week 2021. The damage in Texas may be among the worst. It certainly garnered the most headlines. An estimated $300 million […]

Episode 197. Mortality Composting

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In this episode of Voices from the Field, Andrew Coggins, director of NCAT’s Rocky Mountain West Regional Office in Butte, Montana, talks with Cora Helm, owner and operator of LC Compost Solutions. The business, located near Helena, Montana, includes what is called “mortality composting,” which Cora sees as method for organic waste reduction and a […]

Safety Nets and the Polar Vortex

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By Mike Morris, NCAT Southwest Regional Director I’m still trying to wrap my head around the polar vortex that hit the United States in mid-February: leaving people in Texas without power for up to two weeks, coming within five minutes of crashing the entire Texas power grid, and devastating farms and ranches across the state, […]

Episode 196. Beekeeping and Agritourism

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Multiple income streams can help farmers creatively overcome financial obstacles. In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Justin Duncan talks with Edward Morgan, Jr., about how he did just that with his beekeeping operation. Related ATTRA Resources: Beekeeping for Beginners Beekeeping/Apiculture Entertainment Farming and Agri-Tourism Beekeeping: Considerations for the Ecological […]

Reflections on NCAT’s First Soil Health Innovations Conference

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Everyone has their “thing”—that topic or interest that they just can’t get enough of. That topic that you bore people with at parties (remember parties?) when you talk about it just a little too long. For me, my “thing” is soil. I find the topic of soil so endlessly fascinating, and I get to think about, talk about, teach about, and play with soil as a job and a way of life. I’m lucky enough to be a soil specialist for NCAT and I live on a family farm.
By Nina Prater, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist

Connecting with the Customer

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By Daniel Prial, NCAT Community Food Specialist Being Authentic – Farmer First Marketing Before I get into another blog post on farm marketing, I need to tell you that I am a dreamer. I was the high school kid who participated in mock government and wrote bills to solve all the county’s issues. I went […]

Episode 194. Kansas City Food Hub and KC Farm

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In this bonus episode of Voices from the Field, Lacy Stephens of the National Farm to School Network talks with Alicia Ellingsworth of the Kansas City Food Hub and KC Farm School. Alicia shares the benefits, opportunities, and strategies for successful school sales from the perspective of a food hub operator and also shares insight […]

Reclaiming Wood

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So many of our projects on the farm require building structures out of wood. I’m always building a new raised bed or chicken coop or fences to keep the chickens from messing with my vegetables, but a recent trip to the local hardware store was a rude awakening. Wood prices were double what I paid six months ago. Why? They said it had something to do with the fires out west. After taking a moment to reflect on the inter-connectedness of everything, I paid for the wood I needed and went on my merry way. My trip home was merry indeed because I passed by an opportunity, literally: pallets. Stacks and stacks of pallets.
By Justin Duncan, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist