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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.

Picking lettuce

Agritourism for Beginners

By Luz Ballesteros Gonzalez, NCAT Agriculture Specialist  The…
soil moisture probe

Tracking Soil Moisture and Evapotranspiration: The Satellites Are Coming!

By Mike Morris, NCAT Southwest Regional Office Director  A…
Nina Prater talks on a pasture walk about soil

Find Your Community at Pasture Walks

By Linda Coffey, NCAT Agriculture Specialist You know how…
garlic at the market

Awesome Alliums

By Justin Duncan, NCAT Agriculture Specialist  I have had…

Electric Deer Fence Tips and Resources

By Luke Freeman, NCAT Horticulture Specialist Last November,…

Paddock Design and Animal Movement

Thinking of setting up a multi-paddock grazing system? Or maybe redoing an existing series of paddocks? Perhaps you’re interested exploring the most efficient ways to move livestock through multiple paddocks on a daily basis. The best place to begin is to start with what you have.
Lee Rinehart and Justin Morris

Healthy Soil for a Wealthy Tomorrow

Jeremy Brown, a fourth-generation cotton farmer in the Texas panhandle, focuses on NRCS’s five soil health principles and uses common-sense practices, including cover cropping, to increase financial prosperity, decrease health stressors, and increase nutrient density in his soils.
Elise Haschke
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