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ATTRA Blog

Whether you’re a seasoned or beginning producer, a curious consumer, or simply someone who appreciates the bounty of the earth, you’ll find valuable insights and engaging stories here.

Written by ATTRA specialists on topics they are passionate and knowledgeable about, the ATTRA blog highlights techniques, how-tos, insight, success stories, and much more in support of sustainable agriculture.

USDA

The Demise and Hope of Whole-Farm Revenue Protection

By Jeff Schahczenski, Agriculture and Natural Resource Economist “Man…
A lush Texas field

Advanced Grazing, Session 4 – Adaptive Management

Did you know that grazing management and driving a vehicle have a lot of similarities? While driving, you monitor the road ahead of you to know whether to turn left, turn right, speed up, slow down, or even reverse direction. You make these changes whenever conditions change, like the road curving to the left, wildlife crossing in front of you, or a vehicle suddenly stopping in front of you. Just like driving a vehicle, adaptive grazing management requires that we monitor the condition of the livestock, plants, and soils to know whether we need to modify our management to keep everything on track.
Justin Morris and Lee Rinehart
sheep

Wisdom from SHEpherds: ATTRA’s She’s Raising Sheep Podcast Series, Episodes 1-5

ATTRA has a new podcast series on women shepherds – but why should you care? Maybe because getting started with sheep is much easier with advice from top-notch mentors who openly share their experiences, both good and bad. Maybe because you'd enjoy hearing some funny stories and cautionary tales about sheep. Or perhaps because, even after decades raising sheep, who has ever had a true heart-to-heart with another shepherd without learning something of value?
Linda Poole
Stephanie Kasper with colorful cauliflower.

A Garden of Hope: The Hub of Prosperity

Sometimes, old ideas resurface. In the same way, farms can gain a new life after perceived abandon. The beliefs and mindsets the farm embodies emerge with it. They may take a different semblance, but fundamentally, they carry the same hope, regenerated from the ground up. The Hub of Prosperity carries the dreams and hopes of the Magic Valley of the Rio Grande Valley.
Hernan Colmenero

Soil Social: Quorum Sensing, Part 1

Sunrise is approaching. You grab your morning cup of coffee and head out to your vegetable plot. As you hold your warm mug laced between your fingers, you muse and strategize about the day’s tasks. It is that time, just at first light, that the wind is dead calm, the nightly bug chatter has ended, it is still too early for the birds to start their musical chirping, and the rooster has yet to sound the alarm. You have come to love these special few minutes of each day for their intense vacuum silence. In between sips, you hear a buzz that you haven’t heard before. It is coming from the soil beneath the tomato and squash plants. The microbiology in your soil is having a meeting.  
Darron Gaus
harvesting in the field

Feeding the World: Localism, Ecological Resilience, and Farmer and Community Agency

My alarm goes off, the kettle whistles and coffee steeps in the French press. At my desk I boot up my computer to prepare for what comes. Typical day. What’s also typical lately are the numerous articles I read on how the global food system is being stressed by high fuel and fertilizer prices. So today I did a quick search. In 2017, oil prices were $60 per barrel and fertilizer costs were $109 per acre. Fast forward to 2022 and oil is going for $105, and it costs $291 to fertilize an acre of crops.
Lee Rinehart

Sol Seeker Farm: Raising a Pastured Poultry Business

By Ann Baier, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist I recently…

NCAT Heading to Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems Conference

We have saved the date! This August 7-9, 2022, National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) specialists will be presenting at the 2022 Southern Family Farmers and Food System Conference. They will be covering topics ranging from soil health and carbon planning to livestock and horticulture. Additionally, they will be available to answer any questions about key projects at NCAT projects.
Luz Ballesteros Gonzalez
jerseys grazing

Grazing Effects Flowcharts: A Tool for Understanding Potential Consequences of Grazing Management

Grazing management, whether appropriately or inappropriately applied, has numerous effects on plants, soils, animals, water availability, and the economics of a grazing operation. Some of these effects we can see fairly easily. But many of the effects we don’t ever see because they’re happening where we’re not usually looking – right underneath our feet in the soil.
Justin Morris, NCAT Regenerative Grazing Specialist
Loquat

Native and Naturalized Plants of South Texas for Urban Food Forests

I'm a Californian born and raised, so writing a blog about native and naturalized South Texas plants is one thing I never thought I'd do. But this spring I got the opportunity to go to Texas for an entire month, to work on an urban agroforestry project, and during that time I fell in love with its amazing native and naturalized plants.
Katherine Favor, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist