Entries by ncat-admin

Episode 221. Meet NCAT: Katherine Favor says agroforestry can plant the seeds of sustainability

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In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Omar Rodriguez introduces Katherine Favor, NCAT’s newest specialist at its Western Regional Office in Davis, California. Katherine is a self-identified agroforestry nerd, perennial plant enthusiast, wine farmer, and yerba maté lover. She has worked on, designed, consulted for, and managed regenerative agriculture systems […]

Episode 220. Grazing Management Strategies for Drought

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Wrapping up our month-long focus on water and drought, this insightful episode from our archives deserves another listen. In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Tracy Mumma and Regenerative Livestock Specialist Justin Morris discuss how important it is to adapt livestock grazing strategies to drought conditions. They talk about the […]

Episode 219. Soil Health: the Land Core Approach to Climate Mitigation

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In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agricultural and Natural Resource Economist Jeff Schahczenski talks with Aria McLauchlan and Harley Cross about how to measure the impact that soil health practices can have in mitigating the impacts of weather and climate disruption. Aria and Harley are co-founders of Land Core, a nonprofit organization […]

Episode 218. Embracing Opportunities, Even in a Pandemic

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In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Mike Lewis sits down with Wayne Riley, executive director of the Laurel County African American Heritage Center in London, Kentucky, to discuss his work in the community, including the challenges and benefits that have arisen during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Laurel County African […]

Episode 217. Flexibility in an Unexpected Growing Season

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In this episode of Voices from the Field, two agriculture specialists who work out of NCAT’s headquarters in Butte, Montana, talk about responding to the unexpectedly dry and hot conditions of this year’s growing season. NCAT’s Small-Scale Intensive Farm Training program (SIFT) operates a high-altitude urban demonstration farm in Butte. Farm manager John Wallace and […]

Biochar Policy Project Aims to Scale Up Rural Climate Solution

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By Steve Thompson, NCAT Executive Director Dave Atkins, a forest landowner in Montana’s Blackfoot Valley, peers through the smoke-filled gloom of another hot and dry August, and he sees hope on the horizon. He’s part of a collaborative project with other small landowners, federal land agencies, conservation and watershed groups that thinks that an important […]

Episode 216. Sheep and the Sun: Solar Grazing with Lexie Hain

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Got sheep (or other livestock)? This week, we’re spotlighting this fascinating conversation from our archives that can help you get started in solar grazing. This week’s episode of Voices from the Field takes a look at solar grazing, the practice of using livestock to manage the vegetation under solar panels. Sheep are widely considered the […]

Episode 215. ‘Urban Ag is People Taking Care of People’

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In this episode of Voices from the Field, we travel to Jackson, Mississippi, for a discussion of urban agriculture with NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Felicia Bell and Otis Wright, an urban farm manager and consultant. Otis talks about his experience with urban agriculture, as well as the ways he has found that urban agriculture can […]

Episode 214. Attracting and Protecting Pollinators

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In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Mike Lewis sits down with Dr. Tom Webster from Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Services to talk about the role pollinators play in farm ecosystems, how to attract more pollinators, and how to protect them when they arrive. It all comes down to […]

Episode 213. Using Drones in Agriculture

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In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Colin Mitchell talks with Matt Kutugata about using drones in agriculture. Before Matt started pursuing his Ph.D. in Agronomy from Texas A&M, he worked with Colin and the rest of NCAT’s Southwest Regional office team on the Subtropical Soil Health Initiative as a […]