ATTRA - Voices from the Field

In this episode of Voices from the Field, Samantha O’Byrne, CEO of the O’Hara Commons & Sustainability Center farmers market in Hamilton, Montana, gives us a behind the scenes look at the role of a farmers market manager during a conversation with NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Omar Rodriguez.  

Key to Samantha’s management philosophy is a dedication to local foods and the desire to ensure that both the market and the farmers who offer their goods for sale succeed through mutual support and engagement. 

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number G182-21-W7903 through the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under project number PDP20-009. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Related ATTRA Resources:

·        Farmers Market Pricing Strategies for Vendors 

·        Farmers Markets: Marketing and Business Guide 

·        Farm Branding: Selling Your Products Through Story 

·        Episode 267. How Farmers Markets Do More Than Sell Local Goods

Other Resources:  

·       The O’Hara Commons & Sustainability Center

 
Contact Omar Rodriguez at [email protected] 

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You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find
access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications,
webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG. 

This episode of Voices from the Field is a conversation centered around two organizations helping the community through sustainable agriculture and education in the San Antonio, Texas, area. Stephen Lucke of Gardopia Gardens in San Antonio's Gardopia Gardens and NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Justin Duncan take a candid look at their organizations’ missions as well as the projects they have done and are doing – and how those projects impact the community.

ATTRA Resources:

·        Community Gardening

·        Local Food Systems

Other Resources:

·        Gardopia Gardens

Contact Justin Duncan at [email protected]

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You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, we meet Fred Bahnson, NCAT’s new Executive Director. Fred tells us the story of the journey that led him to NCAT and talks with Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Mike Lewis about the strength of NCAT’s resources — and staff — and some of its many programs.

Related Resources:

·        National Center for Appropriate Technology

·        ATTRA

·        Armed to Farm

·        Soil for Water

·        AgriSolar Clearinghouse

Contact Fred Bahnson and Mike Lewis at [email protected] and [email protected]

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You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialists Andrew Coggins and John Wallace talk about biochar and NCAT’s use of biochar in its Small-Scale Intensive Farm Training (SIFT) program.  

John runs NCAT’s SIFT farm at the nonprofit’s headquarters in Butte, Montana.
SIFT does sustainable agriculture trials at the farm, including some that have focused
on biochar. John and Andrew talk about renewed interest in biochar as a means
of sequestering carbon and as a soil amendment and even a possible soil enhancement.  

Related ATTRA Resources: 

·        Biochar 

·        Episode286. What is Biochar? 

·        Biocharand Sustainable Agriculture 

·        Buildinga Biochar Retort Kiln 

·        Producersand Researchers Agree, Scaleup of a Sustainable Biochar Industry is
Critical to Meet Climate Targets and Build Agricultural Resilience and Soil Health 

·        BiocharPolicy Project Aims to Scale Up Rural Climate Solution 

·        Potting Mixes for Certified Organic Production 

·        Agriculture, Climate Disruption, and Carbon Sequestration 

Contact Andrew Coggins and John Wallace at [email protected] and [email protected].

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this podcast. 

You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG. 

In this episode of Voices from the Field, we meet NCAT’s new carbon farm planner in Texas, Cody Brown. Cody’s friend — and now colleague — NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Darron Gaus talks with him about his background, the carbon planning work he is doing now, how producers can get involved in that work, and his hopes for the future. 

 Related ATTRA Resources:

·        Climate Solutions

·        Episode 284. Carbon Farm Planning

·        Episode 297. Digging into Texas’ First Carbon Farm Plan

·        Carbon Farm Planning

 Related NCAT Resources:

·        Carbon Farm/Ranch Planning Onboarding Interest Form

Contact Darron Gaus and Cody Brown at [email protected] and [email protected]

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.

You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Katherine Favor talks to NCAT Southwest Regional Director Mike Morris about a new series of irrigation guidebooks available from NCAT’s ATTRA program. Mike and Katherine discuss some common myths and misunderstandings about irrigation, the under-appreciated importance of soil health to irrigators, and some easy and inexpensive things every irrigator can do to save water, energy, and money. 

Related ATTRA Resources:

·         The Irrigator’s Pocket Guide

·         The California Microirrigation Pocket Guide

·         The Colorado Irrigator’s Pocket Guide

·         The New Mexico Irrigator’s Pocket Guide

·         The Texas Irrigator’s Pocket Guide

·         Managing Soils for Water

·         Soil Moisture Monitoring: Low-Cost Tools and Methods

·         Sustainable Irrigation: A Beginner’s Guide

·         Tracking Soil Moisture and Evapotranspiration: The Satellites Are Coming!
 
 NCAT Resources:  

·         NCAT Soil for Water Program

  Other Resources:

·         OPENET 

·         California Irrigation Management Irrigation System

·         NRCS Irrigation Guide 
 
Contact Mike Morris and Katherine Favor at [email protected] and [email protected]

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.

You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.

Community gardens and urban farms provide more than just delicious, fresh food for surrounding neighborhoods. In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialists Felicia Bell and Nina Prater talk about what these two types of enterprises are and the differences between them, why they are so beneficial, what some of their challenges are, and what resources are available for folks interested in getting started in either community gardens or urban farms. 

ATTRA Resources: 

·        Urban Agriculture

·        Regenerating Damaged Soils on an Urban Farm 

·        Community Gardening 

·        Community Gardens and Sustainable Agriculture 

·        Community Supported Agriculture 

NCAT Resources:

·        Upcoming Events

Other Resources: 

·        USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

·        Metro Atlanta Urban Farm

·        Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture

·        HABESHA, Inc.

·        Tougaloo College

Contact Felicia Bell and Nina Prater at [email protected] and [email protected]

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.

You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Martin Guerena has a conversation with Bob Scowcroft, former Executive Director of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF).  Bob recounts his involvement in the organic movement, from working as an organizer with Friends of the Earth on pesticide reduction to organizing organic farmers in California and taking part in the development of the National Organic Program.   

Related ATTRA Resources: 

·        Organic Farming

·        Episode 138. Organic Pioneer: Tom Willey

·        A Conversation with Amigo Bob

Other Resources:

·        California Certified Organic Farmers

·        Organic Farming Research Foundation

Contact Martin Guerena at [email protected] 

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast. 

You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG. 

Dr. Bill Robertson recently retired after a long career as the Cotton Extension Agronomist with the University of Arkansas Extension Service. He also worked for the National Cotton Council for a few years, focusing on improving the sustainability of cotton production. Bill and his wife, Carey, have a livestock farm where they raise sheep and many other livestock species using prescribed grazing techniques.  

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agriculture Specialist Nina Prater talks with Bill about how he came to understand soil health as essential to a profitable farm whether the farm is growing crops or livestock. They talk about what practices farmers are using to improve soil health and the benefits they see from their efforts – benefits that include reduced input costs, healthier crops, better yields, and better profitability overall.  

Related ATTRA Resources: 

• Practices Supporting Sustainable and Economic Cotton Production  
• Integrating Livestock and Crops: Improving Soil, Solving Problems, Increasing Income  
• Cover Crops 
• Dale Strickler: Creating Drought-Free Agriculture  

Other Resources:  

• CWC Farm  
• Cotton: Media Resources  
• Robertson Retires as Extension Cotton Agronomist 

Contact Nina Prater at [email protected] 

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast. 

You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG. 

In this episode of Voices from the Field, two NCAT staffers talk about their years of experience working with historically underserved farmers. Gulf States Regional Director Rockiell Woods and Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Felicia Bell discuss who the USDA NRCS defines as historically underserved and some of the programs that are available to them. They also address topics that agriculture professionals might experience as they deal with historically underserved farmers, from a reluctance to make use of government programs to the need to respect the cultures many of the farmers come from.

Related ATTRA Resources:

Farmer Equity

Episode 298. Ag Professional Series with Brennan Washington of Southern SARE

Weekly Wednesday Workshop: Ag Professionals with Otis Wright Jr. of RAFI-USA

Beginning Farmer Tutorials

Other Resources: 

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Contact Rockiell Woods and Felicia Bell at [email protected] and [email protected]

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast. 

You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.