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Marketing, Business & Risk Management

05 Feb

Today's episode – Part 4 of our "Direct Marketing Meat" series – features a question-and-answer session with Dave and Jenny Scott. Linda Coffey asks questions submitted by listeners, and Dave and Jenny provide great answers. You will hear some innovative marketing ideas, as well as more information about production practices and nutrition. Dave and Linda are livestock specialists with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program. Dave works out of NCAT's headquarters in Butte, Montana, and Linda is on the staff of NCAT's Southeast Regional Office in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Dave and Jenny are co-owners of Montana Highland Lamb near Whitehall, Montana. Be sure to check...

29 Jan

In this episode – part 3 of our "Direct Marketing Meat" series – Dave Scott and his wife, Jenny, join Linda Coffey to talk about aspects of working with customers, planning pricing, assessing profitability, and deciding on the scale of the enterprise. Dave and Linda are livestock specialists with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program. Dave works out of NCAT’s headquarters in Butte, Montana, and Linda is on the staff of NCAT's Southeast Regional Office in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Dave and Jenny also are co-owners of Montana Highland Lamb near Whitehall, Montana. During the discussion, Dave and Jenny emphasize the challenges and rewards of...

12 Dec

Hemp can now be sold legally across the country. For the 2020 crop year, the only way to insure hemp is through a unique federally-subsidized Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) policy. This policy protects the value of the whole farm's revenue rather than any specific product a farmer grows. For 2020, industrial hemp in seed, flower, or fiber form can be one of the products insured by a WFRP policy. Jeff Schahczenski, Agricultural and Natural Resource Economist, with NCAT gives an introduction on this whole-farm approach to insuring hemp in 2020....

04 Dec

Today’s episode is the second in an ATTRA: Voices from the Field ongoing series on Direct Marketing Meat. Linda Coffey, a livestock specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable-agriculture program, follows up on a listener’s question by interviewing her colleague, NCAT ATTRA Livestock Specialist Dave Scott and his wife and partner, Jenny, about their direct-marketing meat business, Montana Highland Lamb. Linda works out of NCAT's Southeast Regional Office in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Dave works out of NCAT's headquarters in Butte, Montana. In the previous episode, Dave and Jenny shared their farm story, and we focused on the marketing aspect of their business. In this episode,...

20 Nov

This episode is the first of an occasional ATTRA: Voices from the Field series on Direct Marketing Meat. Linda Coffey, a livestock specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable-agriculture program, follows up on a listener’s question by interviewing fellow NCAT ATTRA livestock specialist Dave Scott and his wife, Jenny, about their direct-marketing meat business, Montana Highland Lamb. Linda works out of NCAT's Southeast Regional office in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Dave is on the staff at NCAT's headquarters in Butte, Montana. Although the listener was asking about lamb, and both Dave and Jenny produce lamb, this series will be useful for anyone direct marketing meat. Dave...

07 Aug

In this episode, airing on National Farmers Market week (August 4 -10), Tammy Howard, agriculture specialist at NCAT's Rocky Mountain West office in Butte, Montana, talks with Ben Feldman, interim director of the Farmers Market Coalition, a national organization representing farmers markets. Tammy and Ben discuss the important role that farmers markets play as business incubators and their economic impact in rural and urban communities. They also discuss some of the resources available to help farmers and farmers markets be successful. For more information on this topic, you can contact Tammy Howard directly at tammyh@ncat.org. Related ATTRA Resources: Tips for Selling at Farmers...

24 Jul

NCAT Agricultural Specialists Luke Freeman and Margo Hale introduce the topic of crop planning for vegetable growers wanting to scale up into wholesale or institutional markets. A resources and links PDF you can use to further your crop planning knowledge is available for download here: https://attra.ncat.org/downloads/Crop-Planning-for-Vegetable-Growers-Webinar-Resources.pdf...

24 Jul

In this episode, Nina Prater, an agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program talks with farmer Janet Bachmann about Janet's production practices at Riverbend Gardens in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Nina works out of NCAT's Southeast Regional office in Fayetteville, where Janet, who also is a former NCAT agriculture specialist, has been farming since 1989. They talk about specialty cut flower production and marketing and how Janet makes it all work as a one-woman operation. For more information on this topic, you can contact Nina Prater directly at ninap@ncat.org Related ATTRA Resources: Specialty Cut Flower Production and Marketing Market Gardening: A Start-Up Guide Farmers Markets: Marketing and...

23 Jul

If you market lamb directly to your customers, the way the carcass is aged, broken down, cut, and packaged is very important in making your product stand out. Once your lamb is properly finished, (finishing video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbBrR3...

23 Jul

Victoria Pozos Bernal, a Food, What?! alumna from Watsonville, CA, spoke about her experience growing up the daughter of a farm worker and the role it played in her transformation from summertime raspberry picker to full-time food justice activist. Over 100 high school students, educators, and activists converged in Missoula October 6-8, 2013 for the Growing Leaders Youth Summit to plant big ideas about how to diversify the future of food. It was the largest event of its kind in Montana and showed that a #YouthFoodRevolution is gaining momentum in Big Sky country. What's next? You decide. www.farmtocafeteria.ncat.org The 2013 Growing Leaders Youth...

23 Jul

Do you market lamb directly to consumers? Learn to use your hands to tell when a lamb is finished! Companion fact sheet available at https://attra.ncat.org/product/putting-a-hand-on-them-how-to-tell-when-your-lamb-is-finished/ Learning to master correct live-animal evaluation of fat lambs will help you provide a superior, differentiated product to your customers. It also can reduce the overall cost of producing a premium lamb by more accurately determining when the animal is finished, thereby better controlling feed costs. Whether you're a producer or you raise lambs for your own consumption, this video will answer the question, "When is my lamb ready to be butchered?"...

23 Jul

Ann Baier is an organic program specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology. She is a U.C. Davis graduate with a Master of Science degree in International Agriculture Development and Agronomy. She has experience providing training and education to minority and limited resource farmers. She also is an inspector for the California Certified Organic Farmers and was the Executive Director of Roots and Wings, a nonprofit organization that provides farm- and garden-based education and training programs to young people. Ann was keynote speaker June 5, 2013 at a pastured poultry workshop in Hamilton, Montana. The workshop was presented by the National...

23 Jul

Jim Adkins, founder of the International Center for Poultry (ICP), located in Old Fort, North Carolina, addresses that question and others during a March 2013 workshop in Great Falls, Montana. The workshop was presented by the National Center for Appropriate Technology, Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center, and Salish-Kootenai College. It was funded by the USDA Risk Management Agency. For the past thirty years, Jim has raised over fifty breeds and varieties of standard bred poultry (that includes chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys). In 1994, he received his poultry judging license from the American Poultry Association which has taken him to thirty...

23 Jul

This webinar covers how TSPs, NRCS personnel, and Conservation Planners of all types can promote sound environmental practices that enhance biodiversity conservation and improve the production capabilities of organic farm, ranch, wild crop harvest, and handling operations. National Organic Program (NOP) regulations require the conservation of soil, water, wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife resources. Recently, the NOP modified its auditing of organic certification agencies, which is resulting in more scrutiny being paid to conservation by organic operations. This webinar discusses how conservation professionals can instruct existing and transitioning organic operators to maintain and improve the natural resources on their working lands through the...

23 Jul

The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) with 10 partners are offering a webinar series on how to become a Technical Service Provider (TSP) for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and assist transitioning and certified organic producers. The webinars are part of an NRCS National Conservation Innovation Project. "Doing NRCS Conservation Activity Planning for Organic Farmers and Ranchers" is presented by Katy Green, who is perhaps the most experienced TSP working with NRCS and organic producers in the United States. Katy will share her efforts at developing conservation activity plans in compliance with NRCS standards (known in NRCS lingo as...

23 Jul

In "Becoming a Technical Service Provider for NRCS: An Introduction," Harriet Behar with the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) begins a four-part webinar series with an introduction that will help you navigate the process to become a Technical Service Provider (TSP) to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Technical Service Providers (TSPs) are individuals or businesses with technical expertise in conservation planning and design for a variety of conservation activities. TSPs are hired by farmers, ranchers, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, or public agencies to provide these services on behalf of the NRCS. The webinar also discusses the Conservation Activity...

18 Jul

Grass-finished beef can command higher market prices and help a rancher's bottom line. During this webinar you'll learn how ranchers are using more pasture and less grain to produce high quality beef, and how ranchers who raise grass-finished beef find ways compete in the market place. Several challenges in grass-based meat production exist, especially for small-scale producers who have a hard time finding access to processing plants and penetrating local markets. Presenters for this webinar were NCAT agriculture specialists Jeff Schahczenski and Lee Rinehart. Jeff Schahczenski, an agriculture economist in NCAT's Montana office, has expertise in agricultural public policy and alternative...

10 Jul

In this episode, Rockiell Woods, director of NCAT's Gulf States Office in Jackson, Mississippi, begins an occasional series on scaling up agriculture operations with Bill Evans, director of horticulture with Up in Farms Food Hub in Jackson. Rockiell and Bill talk about when scaling up – increasing production or investing in ways to reduce costs – is appropriate. They also set the stage for discussing other issues a small producer considering scaling up would need to address, such as marketing, finance, and labor costs. For more information on this subject, you can contact Rockiell Woods directly via email at rockw@ncat.org. Related ATTRA Resources: Food...

03 Jul

In this episode, Martin Guerena, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program talks with "Amigo Bob" Cantisano. Bob is a pioneer in California organic agriculture, and he is well known as the founding organizer of the annual Ecological Farming Conference, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2020. It is one of the largest sustainable agriculture gatherings in the western United States. Martin works at NCAT’s Western Regional office in Davis, California. Martin and Bob discuss the history of organic agriculture and what Bob sees as its challenges and opportunities going forward, including regulatory practices, labor challenges, and increased...

19 Jun

In this episode, Felicia Bell, agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, has a conversation with Tracy Galloway, of Galloway Family Farm near Ocean Springs, Mississippi, about how to add value to an existing farm through agritourism. Tracy is a third-generation family farmer who began to transition his farm to a tourist destination three years go with tours, education, special events, and products for sale. Felicia Bell is located at NCAT's Gulf States Office in Jackson, Mississippi. Related ATTRA Resources: Entertainment Farming and Agritourism Agritourism Promotes Local-Goods Purchasing Tips for Selling With: Agritourism and "Pick-Your-Own" Other Resources: Iowa State University resources and risk-management for agritourism Galloway Family...

15 May

In this second half of a two-part series, Steve Thompson, executive director of NCAT, sits down with Loren Birdrattler, project manager of the Blackfeet Agriculture Resource Management Plan, or ARMP. They take a closer look at a new partnership between NCAT and the Blackfeet Nation to evaluate the feasibility of a multispecies meat-processing plant. This project is a key part of the Tribe’s strategy to create local markets for producers, engage youth more directly in agriculture, and provide healthy, culturally appropriate food for tribal members in this remote corner of rural Montana. In this episode, Loren and Steve have a conversation...

08 May

In this first part of a two-part series, Steve Thompson, executive director of NCAT, sits down with Loren Birdrattler, project manager of the Blackfeet Agriculture Resource Management Plan or ARMP. They talk about a new partnership between NCAT and the Blackfeet Nation to evaluate the feasibility of a multispecies meat processing plant. This project is a key part of the Tribe’s strategy to create local markets for producers, engage youth more directly in agriculture, and provide healthy, culturally appropriate food for tribal members in this remote corner of rural Montana. They also talk about the landscape, culture and history of land...

23 Apr

In this episode, Ann Baier, a program specialist with NCAT’s ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, talks with California pastured poultry producers Caleb Barron of Fogline Farm on the central coast of Santa Cruz and Gary Roberts of Zenter’s Fogbound Farm in Petaluma during a break at the recent Small Farm Conference at the University of California Davis. Ann, who works out of NCAT’s California office in Davis, talks with Caleb and Gary about the essential role that the availability of processing – and the processing rules that go along with operations of varying sizes – plays in pastured processing. For more information on...

15 Apr

In this episode, Al Kurki, a program specialist with NCAT’s ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, interviews Karla Buck, co-owner of Bear Paw Meats in Chinook, Montana. Al, who works out of NCAT’s headquarters in Butte, Montana, talks with Karla about how the Bucks raise, process, and market meat to school districts in the area surrounding their business. For more information on this topic, you can contact Al Kurki directly at akurki@ncat.org. Related ATTRA Resources: Farm to School Sales. Profiles of Ranches Making it Work Other Resources: Bear Paw Meats Bear Paw Meats Facebook Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or...

09 Apr

In this episode, Andy Pressman, director of the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s Northeast Regional Office in Keene, New Hampshire, and a specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, talks with two farmers with differing experiences in offering Community Support Agriculture – or CSA – subscriptions to their customers. Sam Humphrey, director of the NCAT Demonstration Farm at Piney Woods School near Jackson, Mississippi, joins in the discussion along with Christine Doherty Pressman, of the Foggy Hill Farm near Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Christine, who is married to Andy, has nearly 20 years worth of experience with CSAs. By contrast, the most recent...

22 Mar

In this episode, NCAT community foods outreach specialist Daniel Prial, and Andy Pressman, director of NCAT’s Northeast Regional office in Keene, New Hampshire, talk to Atina Diffley, author of Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works, a 2013 Minnesota Book Award winner. Both Andy and Daniel work with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program. Atina is a Minnesota organic farmer and public speaker. Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works is a memoir based on Atina’s life running the Gardens of Eagan organic vegetable farm. Her advocacy has addressed the pressures of suburban development, and she successfully led a legal and citizen campaign...

12 Mar

In this episode, Sue Beckwith and Mike Morris, co-authors of the new workbook Beyond Fresh: a Food Processing Guide for Texas Farmers, discuss the book and the issues it addresses. The book, a workbook, is focused mostly on Texas farmers, helping them decide whether they should move beyond just selling fresh and whole fruits and vegetables by trying to create and sell value-added food products. Beyond Fresh isn’t a how-to book for creating particular products. Rather, it looks at product development, storage and distribution, regulations, labeling, market trends and more – as part of determining whether a product will be profitable for...

08 Mar

In this episode, we hear a conversation between Rockiell Woods, director of NCAT’s Gulf States Regional Office in Jackson, Mississippi, and Sam Humphrey, director of the NCAT Demonstration Farm at Piney Woods School near Jackson. The purpose of the farm is to give hands-on training to farmers and producers in the region, as well as to the students of Piney Woods. This Demonstration Farm is part of Mississippi Food Justice Collaborative, NCAT’s multifaceted food-justice project, which is working to improve access to healthy, culturally appropriate food for historically disadvantaged communities throughout Mississippi. It’s funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Rockiell, a sustainable agriculture...

05 Mar

In this podcast, Tammy Howard, a horticulture specialist with NCAT’s ATTRA sustainable-agriculture program, talks with Anna Elbon and Kim Gilchrist about their low-income local-food access work with farms and farmers markets in Montana. Anna Elbon owns Glacier Tilth Farm in Dixon, Montana, with her husband Matthew Whyatt. They started accepting SNAP cards for their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program last year. Kim Gilchrist is a food access program manager at the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition in Missoula, Montana. She helped start the Double SNAP Dollar program which is a SNAP incentive program for farms, farmers markets, and some retail locations throughout Montana. Tammy works at...

22 Feb

In this episode, Margo Hale, NCAT's Southeast Regional Director, has a conversation with farmer Terrell “Spence” Spencer about his poultry-processing facility. Margo is a livestock specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable-agriculture program at NCAT’s Southeast office in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Spence is a pastured-poultry producer in northwest Arkansas, raising nearly 12,000 broilers on pasture each year. He shares the challenges he has faced in regard to finding a reliable processor for his chickens and how that led to him opening a poultry-processing facility. For more information on this topic, you can contact Margo Hale directly at margoh@ncat.org Related ATTRA Resources: Small Poultry Processing Plants and Services Small-Scale...

11 Feb

In this episode, Martin Guerena, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT’s ATTRA – the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service – talks with Brett Melone, the Director of Lending with California FarmLink. California FarmLink, which began in 1999, helps beginning, limited-resource, immigrant, and other underserved farmers who are trying to get access to land or financing. It is particularly focused on the Central Coast, Central Valley, and North Coast regions of California. Martin, who works out of the NCAT Western Regional Office in Davis, California, spoke with Brett during the Ecological Farming Association’s recent EcoFarm Conference in Pacific Grove, California. Brett gives advice for...

06 Dec

In this episode, Rock Woods, director of the National Center for Appropriate Technology's Gulf States Office in Jackson, Mississippi, talks with Dr. William Evans concerning Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards. Dr. Evans is the director of horticulture with Up in Farms LLC. Up in Farms is a food hub located in Jackson. Up in Farms coordinates production schedules with farmers based upon the demand by regional buyers, such as grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and commercial distributors. It also provides support and training necessary to deliver high-quality products on time and at a sustainable price. Additionally, the hub aggregates produce directly from...

26 Jul

In this webinar National Center for Appropriate Technology specialist Luke Freeman and Lauren Manning of Ozark Pasture beef describes a step by step process and strategies for using Instagram to market farm businesses....

13 Jul

In this episode, award-winning cheesemaker Veronica Baetje of Baetje Farms LLC in Missouri continues her conversation with NCAT Specialists Linda Coffey and Daniel Prial, including how to find the balance production and sales. To learn more, you can contact Linda and Daniel directly at lindac@ncat.org and danielp@ncat.org. Related ATTRA Resources: Tips for Marketing Sheep and Goat Products Dairy Sheep Beef and Dairy Sheep and Goats Other Resources: Baetje Farms Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce...

13 Jul

In this episode, award-winning cheesemaker Veronica Baetje of Baetje Farms LLC in Missouri talks with NCAT Specialists Linda Coffey and Daniel Prial about the history of the operation -- which started with a goat named Cookie -- and marketing small-ruminant dairy products. To learn more, you can contact Linda and Daniel directly at lindac@ncat.org and danielp@ncat.org. Related ATTRA Resources: Tips for Marketing Sheep and Goat Products Dairy Sheep Beef and Dairy Sheep and Goats Other Resources: Baetje Farms Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm...

02 Jul

In this episode, NCAT sustainable agriculture specialist Kevin Ellis sits in the cab of a farm truck with Mike Marchand of Whitehurst Heritage Farms to talk about farming livestock in Texas and having to prepare for and deal with the damage caused by hurricane Harvey in the fall of 2017. Related ATTRA Resources: Disaster Assistance for Ag Producers Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to...

21 Jun

This webinar will teach you how to set up and manage a Facebook page to help you grow your farm business. It will cover the basics of setting up a farm Facebook page from scratch, tips for creating content for your page, engaging with customers, leveraging Facebook advertising, and tools for managing multiple accounts and scheduling posts. This webinar is funded by USDA-NIFA-AFRI 2014-05471...

29 May

This NCAT/ATTRA webinar discusses how you can use social media for your farm business to grow your customer base and market your products. It provides an overview of the most popular social media platforms for farms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We also discuss strategies for creating content and how to engage with customers. This webinar serves as a good introduction if you are wondering how to get started with social media on your farm or are looking for ways to improve your social media skills. This webinar is funded by USDA-NIFA-AFRI-2014-050471...

25 May

In this episode, Rich Myers of the National Center for Appropriate Technology talks with Austin Harley, a second-generation blueberry farmer near Covert, Michigan. Harley talks about changing market strategies as producers in more states choose blueberries as a crop; the labor market, and the challenges of dealing with plant-specific insect pests. Related ATTRA Resources: Blueberries: Organic Production Fruits Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture. You...

11 May

In this episode, we talk with Mike Andreas of Andreas Homestead near Raleigh, North Carolina. Mike, who has had a successful career in the entertainment industry, and his wife, Lynn, moved to North Carolina. After beginning to raise their own poultry, with help from neighbors, they have begun a small poultry meat business, sustainable raising around 300 to 500 birds each year, as well as 10 to 20 goats, on 10 acres. Mike talks about how after just a few years, others in the area have begun asking them for advice, the challenges of processing in North Carolina, and regenerating...

17 Apr

This episode features an Interview with Aldo Andres Marega, organic farmer from Gauchito Hill Farm in Yolo County, California. The interview includes: biography, first years of experience, farmers markets and restaurant sales, challenges or challenges of fertilization and pest control, and advice for beginning farmers. With Martin Guerena, NCAT agriculture specialist. Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture. For more information on this...

29 Mar

The farmer/rancher share of the food dollar has shrunk dramatically in the last century. The processing, marketing, and distribution sector reaps the majority of the profit in our food system these days and at smaller scales, more growers are turning to direct marketing to increase the viability of their operations. Not only does direct marketing enhance the farmers’ position in a competitive economic environment, but it creates personal connections that allow farmers, consumers and communities to unite around increasing access to good quality, locally grown food. Making the most of your time as a producer is critical if you’re trying to...

23 Mar
In this episode, NCAT Livestock Specialist Linda Coffey talks with Tessa McCormick about dairying with Nigerian Dwarf goats and the process of developing a value-added cheese-making operation. Tessa and her husband Scott own the White River Creamery in Arkansas, where they milk 52 Nigerian Dwarf goats.
12 Mar
In this series of podcasts, Thomas Schroeder, Sustainable Ag Specialist in NCAT's Southwest reginal office sat down with Pedro Schambon, owner/operator of My Father's Farm, to talk about food safety and scaling up to wholesale markets. My Father's Farm is a certified organic farm situated on 52 acres in Seguin, Texas, growing year-round both in-field and in greenhouse settings. Pedro talks in depth about the changes that they needed to make to their facilities, practices and overall approach to food safety, GAP and FSMA as they made the transition from CSA/Farmer's Market grower to Wholesale producer. In this episode, he talks about changes the farm made to safely transport, package, and trace its produce as well as advice for new farmers.
12 Mar
In this series of podcasts, Thomas Schroeder, Sustainable Ag Specialist in NCAT's Southwest regional office sat down with Pedro Schambon, owner/operator of My Father's Farm, to talk about food safety and scaling up to wholesale markets. My Father's Farm is a certified organic farm situated on 52 acres in Seguin, Texas, growing year-round both in-field and in greenhouse settings. Pedro talks in depth about the changes that they needed to make to their facilities, practices and overall approach to food safety, GAP and FSMA as they made the transition from CSA/Farmer's Market grower to Wholesale producer. In this episode, he talks about changes the farm make in how it packs produce.
12 Mar
In this series of podcasts, Thomas Schroeder, Sustainable Ag Specialist in NCAT's Southwest regional office sat down with Pedro Schambon, owner/operator of My Father's Farm, to talk about food safety and scaling up to wholesale markets. My Father's Farm is a certified organic farm situated on 52 acres in Seguin, Texas, growing year-round both in-field and in greenhouse settings. Pedro talks in depth about the changes that they needed to make to their facilities, practices and overall approach to food safety, GAP and FSMA as they made the transition from CSA/Farmer's Market grower to Wholesale producer. In this episode, he addresses changes the farm made in how it harvests its crops and the value of GAP and FSMA audits in determining practices to make their produce safer.
18 Dec

In this episode, Wes Helpthorne of B-Bar Ranch near Big Timber, Montana, discusses the process the ranch takes to process its beef at the nearby organically certified Pioneer Meats. Margaret Scoles of the International Organic Inspectors Association leads the discussion. The discussion is an excerpt from the video Inspecting Certified Organic Slaughterhouses, available on the ATTRA Video Archive....

08 Dec

In this episode, NCAT specialist Martin Guenera interviews Aldo Andres Marega, an organic farmer from El Gauchito Hill Farm in Yolo County California. The interview includes: biography, first years of experience, farmers markets and restaurant sales, challenges or challenges of fertilization and pest control, and advice for beginning farmers....

08 Dec

Entrevista con Aldo Andres Marega agricultor orgánico de El Gauchito Hill Farm en Yolo County, California. La entrevista incluye: biografía, primeros años de experiencia, mercados de agricultor y ventas a restaurantes, retos o desafíos de fertilización y control de plagas, y consejos para agricultores principiantes. Martin Guenera dirige la entrevista....

04 Dec

In this episode, NCAT Regional Office Director Rex Dufour talks with California farmer Chris Hay about crop planning, including pricing and labor costs....

20 Nov

In this episode, NCAT Program Specialist Martin Guerena interviews organic famer Luis Guevara of Rancho La Familia from Santa Maria California. It includes his biography; 38 years of farming experience; early years and markets; reasons for diversification; current markets; production challenges; climate change challenges; pest control techniques; fertilization practices; compost; cover crops; rotations and advice to new and beginning farmers....

17 Nov

In this episode, NCAT Program Specialist Martin Guerena interviews Martin Barnes of Capy Organics in Yolo County, California. The interview touches on the farm's early years and starting the Davis farmers market; its first crops; diversification of crops; the transition from markets to CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture); the expansion to Southern California and the Pacific Northwest; technological innovation; expanding its CSA to 50,000 customers; its pest challenges then and now; its fertilization program with compost and foliar applications; and Martin's advice to beginning farmers on land and markets....

17 Nov

Entrevista con Luis Guevara agricultor orgánico del Rancho La Familia de Santa María California. La Entrevista incluye: biografía, experiencia de 38 años como agricultor, principios, mercados, diversificación de productos, expansión de mercados, desafíos de producción, cambio climático, control de plagas, fertilización, rotación de cultivos y consejos para agricultores principiantes....

23 Jun

Robert Maggiani, a horticulture specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology, talks with Larry Butler, co-owner of Boggy Creek Farm in Austin, Texas. They talk about the farm and the value added products it has sold over the years. The farm's website is available here. There is a short description of the farm here. The conversation is part of the Beyond Fresh project, a SSARE-funded project with the following objectives: 1. Research opportunities for value-added processing of sustainably grown fruits and vegetables in Texas, with special attention to the appropriate scale of production. 2. Increase the sales and profitability of value-added products...

20 Mar

No, the butcher did not have it for his dinner. By federal law, any beef that is older than 30 months is subject to the Specific Risk Material regulation. All custom, state, and federally inspected processing plants must remove the brains, eyes, spinal cord and a large portion of the vertebral column from the final cuts of beef. This results in the absence of some traditional cuts and 10-15 percent less pounds back in your box. In this podcast, NCAT livestock specialist Dave Scott and Justin Fisher of Ranchland Packing Company in Butte, Montana, discuss the law and its affects. Please...

22 Feb

In this episode, NCAT Specialist Linda Coffey discusses her new publication, Working with Your Meat Processor. She finds that miscommunications between producers and processors often lead to different expectations, and she talks about some of the issues that often arise because of those differing expectations. Working with Your Meat Processor is available on the ATTRA website. Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at askanag@ncat.org. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils...

27 Jan

You've gone to great effort to raise a nice set of finished lambs and have them processed. Now what? It's great if you can sell them all as wholes or halves. But maybe you can't. How do you go about pricing individual cuts for profit? What is the smallest lamb that you should have in your direct-market program? How do you price high-demand cuts to cover the lower pricing of lesser-demand cuts? In the maze of cuts and cut prices, what is your profit per lamb? An interview with ATTRA Livestock specialist Dave Scott will answer these questions and more....

28 May

For Texas growers who want to sell to grocery retailers and major distributors, a written farm food-safety plan is mandatory. This webinar, "Food Safety for Organic Growers in Texas," addresses the basics of a farm safety plan and how to get GAP certified. It also provides an update on revisions to the Food Safety Modernization Act. Presenters are Susie Marshall, President of the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA) and Dr. Juan Anciso, Extension Specialist in Vegetables and Citrus, Texas A & M University. The webinar was being funded by USDA-Rural Development....

29 Jan

Urban farmers face many risks in producing safe and affordable food. Some of the risks are common to all types of farming; however, many are unique to the urban setting, including zoning regulations, access to water, and managing contaminated soils. While many cities in the U.S. are working to address some of the needs of urban farmers, profitability remains a challenge. This webinar focuses on the risk management strategies of two urban farms – City Roots Urban Farm in Columbia, S.C., and Newton Community Farm in Newton, M.A. – and how they have overcome several of the barriers facing urban farmers...

29 Apr

Local food was once considered to be in the purview of consumers and small-scale producers. Recently, policymakers, including those residing in cities, began embracing local food systems as a solution to a myriad of urban problems, including lack of green space and a dearth of healthy food availability. As part of this shift in policy, cities and other jurisdictions have embraced production in the urban environment. But at the local and state levels, such policies are often based on a vision of how food might be grown in a city, and do not consider the feasibility or viability of such ventures....

14 Jun

"Returns on Renewable Energy Investments" gives participants the tools they need to better evaluate whether alternative-energy systems are good investments for their operations. It demonstrates how to evaluate the actual performance of on-farm alternative-energy applications as well as how to apply tools that measure the return on investment when considering purchasing alternative-energy technology for operations. NCAT Energy Engineer Dave Ryan is the presenter....

15 Apr

Mike Morris discusses his work on farm energy audits and the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) at the first Energy Training for Agriculture Professionals (ENTAP) held in 2009....

16 Dec

This video follows a farm family as they grow hydroponic tomatoes from seed all the way to selling at the Fayetteville Farmers' Market....