ATTRA - Sustainable Agriculture

In this episode, Jeff Schahczenski, agricultural and natural resource economist for NCAT's ATTRA Program - who works at NCAT's headquarters in Butte, Montana, talks about the current and future development of organic field-crop markets with Jessie Bovay and Ryan Koory.Jessie and Ryan work with Mercaris, a national data service company that explores organic, transitional organic, and non-GMO field-crop prices and performs market analytics and trade identity preserved field-crop production studies. Ryan is a senior economist with Mercaris, and Jessie is director of business development.Organic field-crop markets are often referred to as "thin" markets, which means there are few purchasers of organic field-crops and the volume of organic crops traded in the market is relatively low. Market thinness in organic agriculture impacts organic farmers because price transparency is very limited in thin markets, and supply and demand of organic products do not necessarily adjust efficiently. Thus, product surpluses and gluts might be more likely, perhaps creating greater price volatility.For more information on this subject, you can contact Jeff Schahczenski at [email protected] contact Jessie Bovay and Ryan Koory, go to the Mercaris website: https://mercaris.com/Related ATTRA ResourcesUnderstanding Organic Pricing and Costs of Production (To be updated in 2019)https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub-summaries/?pub=419Using Social Media to Grow Your Farm Business Webinarhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XLNzNZt_84 Marketing Organic Grainshttps://attra.ncat.org/product/marketing-organic-grainsOrganic Marketing Resourceshttps://attra.ncat.org/viewhtml/?id=185New Markets for Your Cropshttps://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub-summaries/?pub=268Social Media Tools for Farm Product Marketinghttps://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub-summaries/?pub=412">Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. 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 can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.https://attra.ncat.org/You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/NCAT.ORG/Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website:https://sift.ncat.org/Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages!Southwest Regional Office:Website ~ https://www.ncat.org/southwest/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/NCATSouthwest/Western Regional Office:Website ~ https://www.ncat.org/california/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/NCATWest/Rocky Mountain West Regional Office:Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/NCATRockyMountainWest/Gulf States Regional Office:Website ~ https://www.ncat.org/gulf-states-regional-office/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/NCATGulfStates/FacebookSoutheast Regional Office:Website ~ https://www.ncat.org/ncat-southeast-regional-office/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/NCATSoutheast/Northeast Regional Office:Website ~ https://www.ncat.org/northeast/Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/NCATNortheast/

In this episode, John Wallace, manager of NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm - which stands for Small-Scale Intensive Farm Training - talks with Victorian Tilley about the farm's shift from growing food to sell to growing food to help meet the nutritional needs of the community through donating to local charities.

The SIFT farm is located at NCAT's headquarters in Butte, Montana, where John and Victorian both work. Victorian is an Energy Corps member with AmeriCorps and is currently NCAT's Farm Energy Educator.

The farm's goals in the past were focused on proving economic viability; now it has transitioned toward donating to charitable organizations in the Butte community. With an emphasis on growing more pounds of food rather than higher-value food, the SIFT farm has selected a few staple crops to expand to meet those needs. John and Victorian chat about why the SIFT farm has made these changes, which organizations they are donating to, and how addressing community needs has influenced production plans for the upcoming year.

Resources Mentioned in the Podcast: SIFT farm website Curtis Strong's Facebook page

Some Related ATTRA Resources ATTRA: Voices from the Field High Tunnels and the NRCS podcast.

Marketing Tip Sheet: Outreach Tips for Farms that Accept SNAP Payments for CSAs

How to Accept SNAP Cards at Your Farmers Market.

Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. 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 can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.

You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.

Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages!

Southwest Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook

Gulf States Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Southeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Northeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook

In this episode, Tammy Howard, a specialist with NCAT's ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, at NCAT’s headquarters in Butte, Montana, has a conversation with Rebeca Nolan of Dusty Hound Farms in Tetonia, Idaho.

Rebeca shares their story and the strategies they employ to develop their farm, and she also talks about what she learned during NCAT/ATTRA’s Armed to Farm sustainable agriculture training for veterans. Amanda recently attended on of the Armed to Farm workshops in Montana.

You can get in touch directly with Tammy Howard via email at [email protected]

Dusty Hound Farms Facebook

Related ATTRA Resources:

Veteran Resources

Armed to Farm Schedule

Sustainable Season Extension: Considerations for Design

Evaluating a Farming Enterprise

Tutorial: Getting started in Farming

Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. 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.

Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. 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 can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA’s Website.

You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.

Be sure to check out NCAT’s SIFT (Small Intensive Farm Training) Farm Website.

Also check out NCAT’s Regional Offices’ websites and Facebook Pages!

Southwest Regional Office: Website and Facebook page.

Western Regional Office: Website and Facebook page.

Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook page.

Gulf States Regional Office: Website and Facebook page.

Southeast Regional Office: Website and Facebook page.

Northeast Regional Office: Website  and Facebook page.