Entries by ncat-admin

Armed to Farm in Albuquerque

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After two years of delays due to COVID-19, NCAT finally hosted an Armed to Farm training in the Southwest. At the end of March, we hosted 27 veterans and their spouses or family farm partners in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a week of training. As the Director of Armed to Farm, I have had the joy of participating in the majority of our 27 in-person Armed to Farm trainings. Each time, it is a delight to meet farmer veterans who are eager to expand their farm and ranch operations and connect them to the many resources and networks that are available to support them.

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

Episode 247. She’s Raising Sheep: Montana Shepherd Becky Weed

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This episode of Voices from the Field continues ATTRA’s podcast series on women shepherds, “She’s Raising Sheep.” Becky Weed talks with NCAT Regenerative Grazing Specialist Linda Poole about the role of sheep in “farming as if nature matters.” Becky and her husband Dave Tyler run 80 crossbred long-wool ewes in Montana’s Gallatin Valley, at 13 Mile Lamb and Wool Company.
Linda Poole and Becky Weed

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

Episode 246. She’s Raising Sheep: New Zealand Shepherd Bev Trowbridge

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This episode of Voices from the Field introduces us to New Zealand shepherd Bev Trowbridge. It’s the latest in ATTRA’s five-part series “She’s Raising Sheep.” Trained as an agroecologist in the United Kingdom, Bev has raised heritage sheep and small-frame cattle on New Zealand’s North Island for two decades. Bev tells NCAT Regenerative Grazing Specialist Linda Poole that “sheep are the best biostimulants you could have” to improve soil health, water quality, and biodiversity.
Bev Trowbridg and Linda Poole

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

Episode 245. Starting a Farm: Review and Planning

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This episode of Voices from the Field is part of “Starting a Farm,” an occasional series from Rockiell Woods, who directs NCAT’s Gulf States Regional Office in Jackson, Mississippi, and Bill Evans, director of horticulture at Up in Farms food hub in Jackson.
Rockiell Woods and Bill Evans