Entries by ncat-admin

Reclaiming Wood

/in ,

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

Episode 193. Arizona Microgreens: USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

/in ,

In this bonus podcast of Voices from the Field, Lacy Stephens of the National Farm to School Network talks with Joseph Martinez of Arizona Microgreens, based in Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona Microgreens produce organically-grown microgreens – like micro salad mixes, micro kale, and pea shoots – for restaurants, farmers markets, schools, and hospitals throughout Arizona. Joseph […]

So, You Want to a Start a Farm?

/in ,

This blog will cover a short set of key questions you should ask yourself when considering starting a farm. Your answers will help you think about whether farming is right for you and help get you started in your planning process.
By Rockiell Woods, NCAT Gulf States Regional Director

Episode 192. Electric Fencing 101. Part 2

/in ,

In this episode of Voices from the Field, Nina Prater, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT’s southeast office in Fayetteville, Arkansas, continues a discussion about electric fencing with her husband, Jeremy Prater. Jeremy is the owner and operator of Cedar Creek Farm, a sustainable diversified livestock operation in the Ozarks of Arkansas. Jeremy has used […]

Juneberry: the Delicious Native American Fruit with a Thousand Names

/in ,

Of the many names for this plant, “chuckleberry” is certainly my favorite, but I’ve only seen it in writing, never heard it spoken. Around the Ozarks where I live “sarvis” or “sarvisberry” seems to be the most commonly spoken, at least among the old-timers.
By Guy K. Ames, NCAT Horticulture Specialist

Episode 191. Electric Fencing 101. Part 1

/in ,

In this episode of Voices from the Field, Nina Prater, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT’s southeast office in Fayetteville, Arkansas, talks about electric fencing with her husband, Jeremy Prater. Jerry is the owner and operator of Cedar Creek Farm, a sustainable diversified livestock operation in the Ozarks of Arkansas. Jeremy has used electric fencing […]

Episode 190. Alderspring Ranch. Part 2

/in ,

This episode of Voices from the Field is the second in a two-part series featuring NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Kara Kroeger talking with family members Glenn, Melanie, and Linnaea Elzinga from Alderspring Ranch in Idaho. Glenn and his family raise wild, organic grass-fed beef on their remote family ranch and deliver their products to customers […]

Moebius-Clune and Soil “Livestock”

/in ,

Dr. Bianca Moebius-Clune sees soil as a living ecosystem whose critters need attention, just like the animals in any agriculture operation.
‘Every one of you who’s a farmer or even a gardener has livestock, because your livestock are in the soil, and you wouldn’t think to not feed them,’ Dr. Bianca Moebius-Clune said recently to producers in Kansas.
By Rich Myers, NCAT Outreach Specialist

Episode 189. Alderspring Ranch. Part 1

/in ,

This episode of Voices from the Field is the first in a two-part series featuring NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Kara Kroeger talking with family members Glenn, Melanie, and Linnaea Elzinga from Alderspring Ranch in Idaho. Glenn and his family raise wild, organic grass-fed beef on their remote family ranch and deliver their products to customers […]

Buz Kloot: Seven Words that Sparked a Change

/in ,

In 2013, Montana Highland Lamb had finally come to the conclusion that we were spending way too much on fertilizer for our irrigated pastures. Sure, they were producing more than six tons of grass dry matter per acre, but for what? We were not realizing any profit—the fertilizer manufacturer was. Somehow, we had to escape the immense gravitational bondage of more and more inputs. But how?
By Dave Scott, NCAT Livestock Specialist and Co-Owner of Montana Highland Lamb