Latest News

12 Oct High Tunnels and the NRCS

In this episode, Andrew Coggins of the National Center for Appropriate Technology's Rocky Mountain Region office in Butte, Montana, talks about the process NCAT followed to build two new high tunnels on its SIFT Demonstration farm at the Butte office. The high tunnels were supported in part by a grant from the USDA NRCS's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQUIP). Anyone with questions about applying for the EQUIP program can contact Andrew through the toll free hotline (800-346-9140 or the Spanish language hotline 800-411-3222) or email askanag@ncat.org. Visit our home page to start your search for a wide range of resources on free sustainable-agriculture resources. While you're there, sign up for the Weekly Harvest sustainable-agriculture newsletter. Andrew mentioned the SIFT Farm website and NCAT Rocky Mountain Region Facebook page, where photos of NCAT's high tunnel project can be found. You can access both at NCAT's website....

05 Oct Regenerative Grazing – Outcomes and Obstacles

In this episode, National Center for Appropriate Technology Livestock Specialist Dave Scott talks about the factors that led him to transition his own lambing operation to regenerative grazing. He covers fertilizer costs, soil organic matter effects, how the system affects barber pole worms in his flock and more. Dave also mentions a number of related ATTRA resources, including: 1. Nutrient Cycling in Pastures: 2. ATTRA Soil Health Tutorial 3. ATTRA Managed Grazing Tutorial Questions? Check out our Ask an Ag Expert feature. ...

01 Oct The Jumping Off Point

In this episode, we talk with Dave Halpin, a young beginning farmer who, with his wife, has recently reached the “jumping-off point” and has begun planning to begin an operation in St. Charles County, Missouri. After you listen to Dave's story, be sure to check out ATTRA's extensive – and free – resources for beginning farmers. A good place to start is on our Beginning Farmer Page. ATTRA has a wide array of free resources for all aspects of sustainable farming - publications, webinars, videos, databases, and our popular Ask an Ag Expert hotline and email service....

13 Sep Looking to the Future

In this episode we talk with Margaret Krome, the Policy Program Director of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in East Troy, New York. She is also a board member of the National Center for Appropriate Technology. Margaret talks about the impact of the ATTRA program – which is managed by NCAT through a cooperative agreement with USDA Rural Business Cooperative Service – and the important sustainable-agriculture issues she sees going into the future. ATTRA resources on issues Margaret mentions in the episode – soil health, urban agriculture, cover crops, internships, and more – can be found on our website. Press the play button to listen....

10 Sep H2A Visas

In this episode, National Center for Appropriate Technology Specialists Daniel Prial, Felicia Bell, and Rock Woods talk with Odierdra Williams, a graduate student at the University of Georgia, about research she’s done concerning HAS visas for agricultural interns. Press the play button to listen.

10 Sep Camaraderie at Armed to Farm

In this episode, Rich Myers of the National Center for Appropriate Technology talks with Gil Senger of Candlewick Farms in New York about his experience in the Armed to Farm agriculture-business training for veterans sponsored and hosted by NCAT/ATTRA. To ask a sustainable agriculture expert a question – for free – >go to the Ask an Ag Expert Form. Veteran Resources Press the play button to listen.

27 Aug From Christmas Trees to Mushrooms

In this episode, Rich Myers of the National Center for Appropriate Technology talks with Gil Senger of Candlewick Farms in New York about how starting a Christmas tree farm led him to begin selling mushrooms.

02 Aug Heritage Chickens and Fermented Feed

In this episode, National Center for Appropriate Technology Poultry Specialist Kevin Ellis talks with Ty Burk of Westfold Farm in Buda, Texas. Ty talks about the value of heritage poultry breeds and why he's an advocate of fermented feed, among other topics.

30 Jul The Story of an Internship

In this episode NCAT Specialists Linda Coffey and Daniel Prial talk with noted cheesemaker Veronica Baetje and intern Alison Pevaler about Alison’s duties at Baetje Farms LLC and the process Veronica went through to make the internship happen. If you have questions about sustainable agriculture, ATTRA specialists are waiting to help at no cost. Just call the ATTRA helpline at 800-346-9140 or the Spanish helpline at 800-411-3222. You can also send an email to askanagexpert@ncat.org....