Entries by ncat-admin

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

Watch: NCAT Releases Soil Health 101 Series

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In a new video series: Soil Health 101: Principles for Livestock Production, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Nina Prater makes the case for modeling soil health strategies after nature’s blueprint that […]

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

Episode 242. Understanding the Organic Certification Process

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In this episode of Voices from the Field, Martin Guerena, a sustainable agriculture specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s western regional office in Davis, California, speaks with Sean Feder, director of inspection operations for California Certified Organic Farmers.
Martin Guerena and Sean Feder